Multiple Attachments & The Role of the Father

• What is the typical primary attachment figure for an infant?

  Typically the mother
• What is the typical secondary attachment figure for an infant?

  Typically the father
• What are the roles of primary and secondary attachment figures?

  • Primary Attachment Figure: Typically the mother
  • Secondary Attachment Figure: Typically the father
• What did Field (1978) find about fathers as primary caregivers?

  They took on more of a maternal role
• What did Goodsell & Meldrum (2009) conclude about children's needs for parents?

  Children need both parents for development
• According to Schaffer & Emerson (1964), who is the most common second attachment formed?

  The father
• What did Geiger (1996) find about the roles of mothers and fathers?

  Mothers are nurturing; fathers are playful
• What did Grossmann (2002) find about early attachment to mothers?

  It predicts teenage relationship quality
• How does the father's role compare to the mother's role in later development?

  The father is less important than the mother
• What are the real-world applications of research on father roles?

  • Helps parents decide on caregiver roles
  • Reduces parental anxiety about roles
  • Offers reassurance to parents
• How can families adapt regarding the role of fathers?

  • Distinctive roles in heterosexual families
  • Adaptation in single-mother and lesbian-parent families
  • Question of distinctive role is clear
• What confusion exists over research questions regarding fathers?

  Lack of clarity on father's role types
• What is a challenge in providing a simple answer about fathers' roles?

  Different roles are being discussed by researchers
• What conflicting evidence exists regarding fathers' roles?

  • Methodology affects findings
  • Longitudinal studies suggest distinct roles
  • Children without fathers develop similarly to those with fathers
• What does the research suggest about fathers as secondary attachment figures?

  They have an important role in development
• What remains unanswered regarding fathers' roles?

  Whether fathers have a distinctive role
• What is a strength for research into the Role of the Father?

  Real World Application

  • Parents often agonise over who should take on the role of primary caregiver and so mothers may feel pressured to stay at home because of stereotypes regarding roles and fathers may feel pressured to focus on work rather than parenting
  • Research into the role of the father can be used to offer reassuring advice to parents 
  • This means that parental anxiety about the role of fathers can be reduced
• What is a strength for research into the Role of the Father?

  Families Can Adapt

  • Fathers may typically take on distinctive roles in 2-parent heterosexual families
  • This may not be the case in single-mother and lesbian-parent families who simply adapt to accommodate the role played by fathers
  • This means that the question of a distinctive role for fathers is clear and families can adapt to not having a father
• What is a limitation for research into the Role of the Father?

  Confusion over Research Questions

  • There is a lack of clarity over the question regarding the role of the father
  • Some researchers attempt to answer the question regarding the role of fathers as secondary attachment figures, while some are more concerned with fathers as primary attachment figures
  • This makes it difficult to offer a simple answer as to what the role of the father is and it depends on what specific role is being discussed
• What is a limitation for research into the Role of the Father?

  Conflicting Evidence

  • Findings vary according to the methodology used
  • Longitudinal studies like Grossmann et al (2002) suggest that fathers as secondary attachment figures have an important and distinct role in their children’s development, however children without a father figure present do not develop differently from children 
  • This means that the question as to whether fathers have a distinctive role remains unanswered