16 MARKER ON ROTF

• AO1- NO ROLE:

  • Hrdy’s Research
  • Father incapable of providing tender care and love to baby- do not have correct hormones
  • Mothers have oestrogen- emotional responsiveness, fathers have testosterone which is linked to aggression
• AO1- Play Role:

  • Grossmann et al
  • Qualities of babies attachment with mother impacted adolescence attachment, father had no impact
  • Quality of fathers’ play was related to quality of adolescence (fathers have a role related to play & stimulation)
• AO1 ROLE- Primary Caregiver

  • When fathers are given the opportunity- adopt emotional role
  • Field’s research (1978)- primary caregiver fathers smiled more, imitated and held babies more than secondary caregiver fathers 
• Strength- Supporting evidence for the role of play:

  • Geiger 1996- father’s play interactions more exciting than mother’s (more affectionate and nurturing)
  • Role- playmate rather than sensitive parent
• Weakness- Opposing Theory for no role:

  • Societal norms- greater influence on role of father than biology / hormones
  • Fathers expected to go to work, mother stays at home
  • Nurture side of Nature vs Nurture debate
• Strength- Usefulness to parents:

  • Offers advice to parents who are economically unsure about who should return to work 

  • Reassures parents that fathers can be primary caregivers- mothers can work 

  • Less pressure on mothers to stay at home, father to focus on work 

  • Furthermore- children of gay / lesbian parents had no differences in development compared to children in 2-parent heterosexual families