Role of the father

Question 1

Role of fathers in parenting

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson’s study found that fathers where less likely to be primary attachment figures but this was in the 1960s and fathers play a larger role in childcare then before, 10% percent if fathers or the ones who take care of the children while the partner works. 9% of British single parents are male.
Bowlby believed that children has one primary attachment figure usually the mother although he said it could possibly be the father but many researchers see the father more as a playmate then a carer as fathers play is more physical and unpredictable then the mothers according to them.

Question 2

Factors affecting the relationship between fathers and children

Answer 2

Degree of sensitivity- the more sensitive then father is to the child the more secure attachment is formed
Type of attachment- single parent fathers tend to form similar bind with their children which they had with their own parents
Marital intimacy- the degree of intimacy a father has within his relationship with his partner effects the type of attachment with their children
Supporting co parenting- the amount of support a father gives to his partner in helping to care for children affects the type of attachment he will have with his children.

Question 3

Studies into father and children bond

Answer 3

Geiger(1996) found that fathers okay is more exciting and pleasurable then the mothers suggesting they may be more playmates then carers

Lamb(1987) found that children often prefer interacting with their father when in a positive mental state so seeking stimulation while preferring their mother when seeking comfort or distressed. This supports the idea of fathers being preferred playmates but only in certain conditions

Lucaseen (2011) performed a meta analysis of 22 studies of the strange situation experiment and found that higher levels of sensitivity where associated with higher levels of infant father security.

Belsky (2009) found that higher levels of marital intimacy led to securer father infant relationship with the opposite occurring in lower levels of marital intimacy

Brown- looked at 68 families with infants aged 12-13 months and found higher supporting co parenting levels led to securer attachment types between infants and fathers

Grossman (2002) quality of mothers attachment with child related to children’s attachment in adolescence but quality of fathers play was related to quality of adolescence attachments

Question 4

Fathers role strengths

Answer 4

• ) children with good relationships with their father have good peer relationships and have less problem behaviours and more self control. Positive father influence
• ) Fathers important to other carer as well, do parenting reduces stress and increases their self esteem allowing for more positive interactions with the child
• ) children without fathers do less well in school and show higher levels of risk taking and aggression. Shows need for father bond

Question 5

Role of father weaknesses

Answer 5

• ) research into the fathers role is confusing as many researchers look into different questions and different effects is it’s hard to answer what the role of the father is
• ) studies such as MacCallum’s shows that there is not difference between children that grow up with a single mother or in a heterosexual marriage, father not important
• ) fathers may not become primary attachment figures generally due to traditional gender roles or due to female hormones such as oestrogen create higher nurturing levels, also could be due to Bowlby while as influential saying the father wasn’t needed for child’s nurturing