Role Of The Father

Question 1

Primary attachment is usually with the mother but sometimes with both parents

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson (1964)

Majority of babies became attached to their mother first (happens around 7 months)

Only 3% of infants attached to the father as the primary attachment initially

27% initially attached to both the father and mother

Within a few weeks - secondary attachments were formed, usually to the father

Question 2

75% form secondary attachments to the father

Answer 2

75% of children studied formed a secondary attachment to the father by age 18 months

Indicated by separation protest from the father

Question 3

Attachment with mother most related to teen attachments

Answer 3

Grossmann (2002)

Longitudinal study looking at parents behaviour and association with quality of attachment in teenage years

Found that quality of early attachment with father was less important than mother in teenage attachment quality.

Suggests fathers are less important in long term emotional development

Question 4

Importance of fathers play

Answer 4

Quality of fathers’ play with children is related to the attachment formed between father and child.

Suggests fathers have an equally important role in attachment and development - one that is more to do with play and stimulation and less to do with nurturing

Question 5

Fathers can be primary caregivers

Answer 5

Evidence suggests that fathers who take on the role of main caregiver adopt behaviours more typical of mothers.

Field (1978)

Found that primary caregiver fathers spent more time performing actions typical of mothers, such as smiling, imitating, and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers

Question 6

Level of response is most important

Answer 6

Smiling, imitating, and holding infants in response to signals are the most important factors in building an attachment.

So if a father takes on these roles, the father can be the more nurturing attachment figure

Key to attachment is responsiveness not gender of the parent.

Question 7

❌evidence undermines idea of the father having a distinct role

Answer 7

Grossman (2002)

Found fathers as secondary attachment figures had an important role in child’s development in relation to play and stimulation

However, McCallum and Golombok (2004) -

Found children growing up in single parent or same sex families didn’t develop differently.
Suggests fathers role as a secondary attachment figure is not important.

Question 8

❌Research doesn’t provide clear answer about fathers and primary attachments

Answer 8

Could be related to traditional gender roles - women are expected to be more nurturing than men.
Because of this, perhaps men don’t feel they should act as nurturing figures.
Or perhaps female hormones (oestrogen) create higher levels of nurturing- so women are biologically predetermined as primary attachment figures

Question 9

❌social biases prevent objective observation

Answer 9

There are societal preconceptions about fathers’ behaviour as caring figures - more playful, stricter etc.

These preconceptions may cause observer bias - observers may see what they expect rather than recording actual reality.

Conclusions about the role of the father are therefore difficult to separate from the influence of social biases about their role.

Question 10

✅significant economic implications

Answer 10

Research that says mothers are vital for healthy emotional development may pressure mothers into staying at home and not working.

This is an economical detriment to society and to the family concerned.

This research may comfort mothers who wish to return to work