Role of the father

• Father's may not be able to form attachments because of hormones or being detered by cultural expectations
• A fathers role in a childs life may be more as a playmate than as a caregiver [ grossman 2002 ]
• Fathers are able to take on the role of primary caregiver in the absence of a mother. They experience a hormonal boost to aid bonding

  [Field]
• Research supports role of the father as playmate,

  [Geiger 1997] fathers play interactions more exciting than mothers
• Research supports that men can't form nurturing attachments

  [Hardy 1999]fathers less able to detect low distress in infants compared to mothers