The role of the father

Question 1

Grossman research into role of the father

Answer 1

• aim: longitudinal study, looked at both parents beh rship to quality of attachment into their teens
• finding 1: quality of infants’ attachment with mothers, not their fathers, related to childrens’ attachments in adolescence.
• conclusion: father attachment less important
• Finding 2: fathers play w infant related to quality childrens adolescent attachment
• conclusion: father role play and simulation less to do w nurturing

Question 2

Field research into role of the father

Answer 2

• Aim: investigate role of father
• method : controlled observation
• Procedure: filmed 4 month old babies face-face interactions w prim caregiver mums, prim caregiver dads, and sec caregiver dads
• findings: prim caregiver dad like mum, spent more time smiling, imitating holding infants than sec father beh more import formin attachment
• conclusion: dads can be more nurturing attachment figures take on traditional maternal role, key to rship is lvl of responsiveness not gender

Question 3

AO3 for role of father

Answer 3

practical applications

• principles of research that responsiveness most import forming attachments can be used to advise parents.
• mums feel pressured stay at home bc of stereotyp views, dads work mums stay home, mums may earn more economical benefit
• used offer reassuring advice to parents; EG: fathers can become a prim attachment figure.
• parental anxiety reduced

traditional gender roles

• other hand, female hormones (oestrogen) create higher lvls of nurturing
• therefore women biologically predisposed to be the prim attachment fig for children.
• Therefore there are several explanations to consider when investigating the role of the father