The Role Of The Father

Question 1

What did Grossman find and what type of study

Answer 1

-longitudinal study
-found attachment to mothers in childhood is correlated with adult attachment, attachment with father is not correlated with adult attachment,attentiveness of play with father is correlated with adolescent attachment(play and stimulation)
-shows that father and mother fulfil qualitatively different role, play vs emotional role, but this is just as crucial to the child’s wellbeing

Question 2

Outline Field’s research into role of father

Answer 2

-recorded four month old babies in face to face interaction with their primary caregiver mothers/PCG fathers/ secondary caregiver fathers
-found PCG fathers interactions were identical in terms of interactional synchrony and reciprocity to PCG mothers
-shows fathers can be the nurturing attachment figure suggesting the key to attachment is the level of responsiveness and who the PCG is has nothing to do with gender