The role of the father Flashcards
What are the 4 factors affecting the relationship between fathers and their children?
Degree of sensitivity
Types of attachment with own parents
Marital intimacy
Supportive co-parenting
What is degree of sensitivity?
More secure attachments to their children are found in fathers who show more sensitivity to their children’s needs
Research conducted into degree of sensitivity?
Geiger 1996- fathers play interactions are more exciting and pleasurable than the mothers while mothers are more affectionate. Fathers considered playmates and mothers are known to recognise and respond to their child’s needs
What is types of attachments with their own parents?
Single parent fathers are more likely to form similar attachments to the ones they had with their parents
Research conducted into types of attachments with own parents?
Bernier and Milijkovitch 2009 found that single parent fathers’ attachments with 4-6 year olds were similar to those they had with their parents. Not the same pattern with married fathers. Suggests a sense of continuity.
What is marital intimacy?
The degree of intimacy a father has within his relationship with his partner affects the type of relationship he will have with his children
Research conducted into marital intimacy?
Belsky et al 2009 found high levels of marital intimacy was related to secure father-infant attachments. The closeness a father has with his partner affects his relationship with his child
What is supportive co-parenting?
The amount of support a father gives his partner in helping to care for the children which affects the type of attachment he will have
Research conducted into co-parenting?
Brown et al 2010 assessed the attachment patterns in 68 families with infants 12-13 months finding that high level of supportive co-parenting were related to secure attachments between fathers and infants but not mother and infant. Co-parenting more important for fathers
Why are fathers important to children?
Secure attachments with fathers= children have better relations with peers, less behavioural problems and are more able to regulate their emotions
Children without fathers more likely to do good at school- take more risks and are more aggressive
Why are fathers important to mothers?
Provide mothers with much needed time away from children- reduce stress- improve self esteem and improve mother- infant relationships
What is one practical applications of how society doesn’t view the role of fathers as equal to the mothers?
Some airlines will not seat non-related children next to a male passenger placing them instead next to a female passenger under-estimating the father’s ability to display sensitive responsiveness
What did Ross et al 1975 experiment show?
The number of nappies a father changed were positively correlated to the strength of their attachments
What did Caldera 2004 experiment show?
He studied 60 mothers and fathers and their 14 month infants and found that when the father was involved in care giving activities they were more likely to develop a strong attachment
