Role of the Father

• Field (1978)- Attachment is non-biological

  -Filmed 4-month-old babies face-to-face interaction with primary caregiver fathers; like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers

  -Behaviour appears to be more important in building attachments with infants

  -Fathers can be the more nurturing attachment figure

  -Key to attachment relationship is level of responsiveness, not gender
• Gossman (2002)- Attachment is biologically determined

  -Longitudinal study looking at both parents' behaviour/ relationship to quality of children's attachment into their teens

  -Quality of infant attachment with mothers but not father related to children's attachment in adolescents suggesting father attachment is less important

  -However, quality of fathers' play with infant has different role in attachment- play and stimulation- less to do with nurturing
• S- Schaffer & Emerson (1964)- Attachment is non-biological:

  Majority of babies become attached to mother as first primary attachment (7 months) and within a few weeks/ months form secondary attachment to other family members including father. 75% of infants formed attachment with father by 18 months; determined by fact that infants protested when father walked away as sign of attachment
• S-Belsky et al. (2009)- Attachment is non-biological:

  Fathers can form secure attachments with their children if they are in an intimate marriage. Males who reported higher levels of marital intimacy also displayed a secure father-infant attachment; males with lower levels of marital intimacy displayed insecure father-infant attachments. Males can form secure attachments with their children but strength of attachment depends on mother-father relationship
• S- Geiger (1996)- Attachment is biologically determined:

  Father's role is a 'playmate' rather than primary register. Geiger found fathers' interactions were more exciting in comparison to a mothers. However, mothers' play is more affectionate and nurturing. Confirming gender affects attachment and mother takes on nurturing role
• S- Hrdy (1999)- Attachment is biologically determined:

  Fathers are not as equipped as mothers to provide a sensitive and nurturing attachment. Fathers less able to detect low levels of infant distress, when compared to mothers. Supports biological explanation- lack of oestrogen in men means fathers are not equipped innately to form close attachments with their children. Role of father is, to some extent, biologically determined; restricted due to biological make up. Fathers are not able to provide a sensitive/ nurturing type of attachment due to inability to detect stress in children