The Role Of the Father

Question 1

Which two psychologists investigated The Role Of the Father?

Answer 1

Grossmen and Feilds

Question 2

Explain Grossmens Research.

Answer 2

-Longitudinal study done on both parents behaviour and it’s relationship to child’s attachment in their teen years
-it was found that the Quality of the infants attachment with the mother was related to the child’s attachment in adolescence
-It was also found that quality of the father’s play with the infant was related to the quality of the child’s attachment in adolescence
-the role of the father is play and stimulation.

Question 3

Explain Feilds Research.

Answer 3

-Controlled observation
-filmed 4 month old infants in there face to face interaction with there PCM,PCF and SCF
-the PCF like the mother spent more time smiling and imitating the infant than the SCF
-this behaviour seemed to be more important
-fathers can take on the nurturing role and it is more about the level of responsiveness of the caregiver than gender.

Question 4

What are the evaluations?

Answer 4

-Practical application
-Maccalaum and Golombok
-Biological Basis

Question 5

Explain the evaluation of practical application.

Answer 5

-because fields findings that the responsiveness to the child’s need is more important not gender
-changed policies
-shared parental leave (2014) both parents are able to leave work and take care of infant in the first year of there life
-this is useful for fathers who want to be the PCG and mother’s who want to work
-important for applied psychology as it has helped families in the real world.

Question 6

Explain the research conducted by Maccallum and Golomnack.

Answer 6

-gave single mother and lesbian parents questionnaires to assess the cognitive and social development of their child
-it was found than children who had single mothers and lesbians parents dont develop differently to those who have heterosexual families
-because it shows that the role of play and stimulation isn’t solely related to gender of the attachment figure
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Question 7

Explain the Evaluation of the biological basis.

Answer 7

-fathers adopt the SCG role
-female hormones (oestrogen) create higher levels of nurturing
-therefore are biologically predisposed to be the PCG of children
-whereas males produce low levels of oestrogen and more testosterone which isn’t associated with caring and nurturing
-suggests the father is less important