Role Of The Father Studys

Question 1

Grossman 2002 aim
(Mothers roles are special and there are diffrent roles )

Answer 1

Longitudinal study
Looking at both parents behaviour and quality of children’s attachments into there teen

Question 2

Grossman finding 1 and conclusion 1

Answer 2

Quality of infants attachment with there mother but not father was related to children’s attachment in adolescence

Fathers attachment is less important

Question 3

Grossman finding 2 conclusion 2

Answer 3

However quality of fathers play with infants was related to children’s adolescent attachments

Fathers have different role in attachment

Question 4

Field 1978
(Responsiveness not gender that matters)

Answer 4

Controlled observation

Filmed 4 month old infants in face to face interactions

Primary care giver fathers , like mothers Spent more time smiling imitating holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers this behaviour seems to be more important

Question 5

Field 1978 conclusion

Answer 5

Fathers can be more nurturing attachment figure
The key is level of responsiveness

Question 6

Ao3 weakeness Grossmens

Answer 6

Biological bias to support grossmans findings

Females hormones oestrogen create higher levels of nurturing

Thus women are biologically predisposed to be primary attachment figure for children

Whereas males do not produce that much oestrogen but instead produce testosterone which is not associated with caring and nurturing

Therefore there are several explanation to consider with investigating the role of the father

Question 7

Ao3 strength fields

Answer 7

Practical applications

Findings of fields research that responsiveness to child , not gender is important when forming attachments has been used to change policies

Allows mothers and fathers to share leave from work to care within first year of infants life

Useful in families where father want to take role of PCG and mother want to return to work

Research into role of the father is an important part of applied psychology