The Role Of The Father Flashcards
what does evidence suggests about fathers
much less likely to become bays first attachment figure compared to mother
What did Schaffer and Emerson find
that babies first became attached to mother around 7 months old. In only 3% cases father was the first sole object of attachment . 27% father joint first object of attachment with mother
what evidence shows that father becomes an important attachment figure
75% of babies studied by Schafer and Emerson formed attachment with father around 18 months determined when babys protested when father walked away
What does Klaus Grossman study
if male adult caregivers make a unique contribution to early development `
Describe what happened in Klaus study
longitudinal study where babies attachment study into their teens. Research looked at both parents behaviour and its relationship to the quality of their baby’s later attachment to other people. Quality of baby’s attachment with mothers but not fathers were related to adolesence
What did Grossman find about the quality of fathers play with the babys
related to the quality of adolesence attachments
This suggests that fathers have different role to mothers - one more to do with play and stimulation less to do with emotional development
what does some evidence suggests
when fathers take on the role of primary caregiver able to adpt emotional role more typically associated with mothers
What happened in Tiffany Field research
filmed 4 month face to face with primary caregiver mother
secondary caregiver father and primary caregiver father.
Primary caregiver father and mother both spent more smiling and imitating and holding bay than secondary caregiver father .Smiling,imitating and holding bays are process of attachment formation
So it seems father father have potential more emotion focused primary attachment caregiver
what is a Strength
research into role of father can offer advice to parents
Parents and prospective parents worry on who should be primary caregiver. Mother and father may feel pressure to do stereotypical role.Research into role of father can be used to give advice and in heterosexual parents can be informed that father capable to becoming primary attachment figure. Also lesbian ans single mother families can be informed that not having a father around doesnt affact child development
So parental anxiety can be reduced
what is a Limitation
lack of clarity over research questions
What is role of father is complicated question some researchers said that father is secondary attachment figures other said role of the father could be primary attachement figure. Former have tended to see fathers behaving differently from mother and having distinct role . Latter found fathers can take maternal role
Make it difficult to offer a simple answer as the role of the father
