Role of the father

• Role of the father


  Grossman carried out longitude study looking at both parents behaviour and attachment with child until their teens. The attachment with the mother was related to the child's attachment during adolescent suggesting the father is less important . however, the quality of the fathers play with the child was related to their quality of attachment suggesting the fathers role is more to do with play and stimulation rather than nurture.
• Father as primary care giver


  evidence shows that fathers can adapt to the role of primary care giver if mother not present. Field filmed 4 moth old baby interact with primary mother, primary father , and secondary father. Primary fathers and mothers spent more time smiling , imitating and holding than the secondary father. therefore gender does not affect attachment.
• AO3 of attachment figures


  - inconsistent findings as different researchers are interested in finding different things e.g. primary and secondary attachment. no studies actually tell us what the role of the father is.

  -socially sensitive as suggests child might be at a disadvantage if mother goes back to work

  - children with fathers growing up are no difference showing similar role

  + biological explanation, woman have more oestrogen making them more nurturing
• Absent father theory

  Draper et al. :

  • Stable relationship - "Parental effort" is most effective (single partner, caring relationships)
  • Unstable environment - "Mating effort" is most effective (multiple sex partners, hostility)
  • If father is absent, he has no role in shaping the child's idea of a relationship and makes girls more independent
  • girls mature earlier and get into relationships earlier and can therefore have children earlier
• Absent father evaluation

  • empirical evidence: high validity + reliability due to scientific method
  • beta bias: only looks at girls
  • cultural bias: only western culture
  • social sensitivity: suggests girls with absent fathers are more promiscuous