AO3: Role of father

• Limitation: Confusion over research questions

  What? Lack of clarity over questions

  Who? Different attempts to question 'What is the role of the father?' - some saw fathers as primary attachment figure, some saw fathers as secondary attachment figure

  Why? Difficult to answer simple question
• Limitation: Conflicting evidence

  What? Findings vary according to methodology

  Who? Grossman et al. - fathers as secondary attachment figures; expected that children of single-mother/lesbian-parent families would turn out differently - research says otherwise

  Why? Question unanswered
• Strength: Real-world application

  What? Offers advice to parents

  Who? Offers reassuring advice to parents - father not pressured to work rather than parenting as fathers capable of becoming primary attachment figures

  Why? Parental anxiety reduced