The role of the father Flashcards
What is the role of the father in attachment theory?
Fathers may contribute uniquely to a child’s development and attachment.
At what age do babies typically become attached to their mothers?
Around 7 months.
In what percentage of cases was the father the joint first object of attachment with the mother?
27%.
What percentage of babies protested when their fathers walked away by the age of 18 months?
53%.
What did Klaus Grossmann et al. (2002) study in their longitudinal research?
The relationship between parents’ behavior and the quality of their baby’s later attachments.
How does the quality of attachment to mothers compare to that of fathers in relation to adolescent attachments?
Quality of attachment to mothers is related to adolescent attachments, but not that of fathers.
What aspect of fatherhood did Grossmann et al. find to be significant in relation to adolescent attachments?
The quality of fathers’ play with babies.
What distinction is made between primary and secondary attachment figures?
Primary attachment figures have special emotional significance compared to secondary figures.
What role do primary attachment figures play in a child’s emotional relationships?
They form the basis of all later close emotional relationships.
What did Tiffany Field’s study (1978) find regarding primary caregiver fathers?
They spent more time smiling, imitating, and holding babies than secondary caregiver fathers.
What are reciprocity and interactional synchrony in attachment formation?
Processes involving smiling, imitating, and holding that contribute to attachment.
True or False: Attachment to fathers is considered equally important as attachment to mothers.
False.
Fill in the blank: A baby’s primary attachment has special emotional _______.
significance.
What happens when fathers take on the role of primary caregiver?
They can adopt the emotional role typically associated with mothers.
