Role of the father

• What is the roles of mother and father?

  Mother - caregiver, Father - play mate
• How does the 'play mate' role effect the child?

  Lack of sensitivity from fathers may be seen as positive as it encourages resilience. Whereas, the mother helps infants with emotional development.
• What did Field find in relation to Primary care givers?

  If the father is the PCG from birth, they take on a more maternal role. Demonstrating the flexibility in the role of the father.
• What did MacCallum and Golombok find?

  Children growing up in single parent/ same sex families do not develop any differently. Showing that the role of the father is not significant.
• How do hormones aid/harm attachment?

  Womens hormones are better set up to aid in the attachment process. Due to oestrogen and oxytocin. Oestrogen is links to emotional sensitivity which puts men at a disadvantage as testosterone does the opposite. Oxytocin is flooded during birth and aids with the attachment process. These biological differences could account for traditional roles.
• Explain Hardy's findings?


  in 1999 he found that fathers are less likely to detect low levels of infant stress, compared to mothers. The results show the lack of oestrogen in men, mean they are not equiped to form close relationships with their children.
• Explain Li et al findings?

  Men can also undergo hormonal changes when they become fathers. Testosterone drops and oxytocin rise. In father oxytocin facilitates physical stimulation of infants during play and synchronization of emotion. This also helps to treat male post natal depression.
• What are the implications of dads skin-skin contact?

  Hospitals now strongly encourage fathers to engage in skin to skin contact immediately to stimultate oxytocin production.
• What are the cultural norms surrounding the role of the father?

  Cultural steryotypes impact the fathers schemas about what role they play. Classic play mate dads is a strong cultural norm and leads to continuity.
• How does paternity leave effect attachment?

  Leaves the dad with less time to bond
• How does adoption effect attachment time?

  Both parents have to take a years leave off work
• What does research show about continuity in fathers?

  They continue relationship types through generations - similar to mothers.
• What does research show about the parental relationship?

  Intimacy shown between mother and father, impacts success of attachment.