1.3 Role of father

• Intro role of the father


  Research into attachment highlights the importance of a primary caregiver for an infant. This aids the quality of their future relationships and mental health.

  However, the title 'caregiver' is usually associated with mothers, causing psychologists to question what the role of the father actually is in attachment.
• Schaffer and Emerson (1964) role of the father

  - Infants tend to form an attachment with mother first, father next. 70% mother's first by 7M, 3% Dad's first, 27% joint.

  
  

  - At around 18 months, (multiple attachment phase) 75% had formed attachment with father.
• Is the father equipped to be a caregiver?


  Societal norms

  - stereotypes (caring is feminine)

  - Only recent paternity leave (mums responsibility)

  - Causes CG role to be seen as not masculine

  
  

  Biological factors

  - testosterone

  -Oestrogen (women + caring), men have less

  - Oxytocin (reduces stress hormone cortisol, lowers fight or flight, promotes protection + formation of relationships (helps bonding) + rises during breastfeeding.

  
  

  Strengthens view men are not equip to be caregiver
• If not a caregiver then what is the father's role?

  - Playmate rather than caregiver

  - Geiger (1996) observations of fathers and infant vs mothers.
• Geiger (1996)


  Father interactions are more exciting and pleasurable than mothers, while mothers are more nurturing and affectionate. Fathers can be seen as playmates rather than caregivers.
• But is this the whole picture? (Father as playmate?)

  - Field (1978)
• Field (1978) procedure


  -Filmed interactions between 4 month old babies and caregivers

  - 36 infants, divided into 3 groups

  - 12 interacting with primary caregiver mothers

  - 12 interacting with primary caregiver fathers

  - 12 interacting with secondary caregiver fathers
• Field (1978) findings

  - In general fathers engaged in significantly more gameplay, less holding of infants

  - PCG fathers and mothers engaged in more smiling/ imitative facial expressions (interactional synchrony) than secondary CGF

  
  

  - Suggests being PCG is not dependant on gender but on quality of relationship with child and interactions.
• Grossman (2002)


  Longitudinal study on how parent-infant attachment affected attachment into teens.

  Found:

  a) Quality of infant ATTACHMENT to mothers (not fathers) related to teens attachment (more important than fathers)

  b) Quality of fathers PLAY did relate to attachment in adolescents. (Not father's attachment) but it is STILL IMPORTANT.

  
  

  Shows importance of mother's role as primary caregiver for affection, and fathers as a 'playmate' (supports Geiger)
• AO3 Practical application (1st point and evidence)

  P: Research from the role of the father can be used to offer parental advice

  E: Field conducted research showing that men can actually undertake the role of the primary care giver just as much as women can.
• Practical Application (Explaination)

  Ex: Despite the woman potentially earning a higher salary, societal pressures have dictated that them staying at home is 'needed'. Yet, with this research, we can show mothers don't need to as fathers are perfectly capable of being a primary caregiver. This may also remove the stereotype of the 'stay at home mum' and 'working father'.
• Practical application (link)

  L: Therefore, research into the role the fathers play in attachment has real world application in informing parental practice and aiding the economy.
• Inconsistent findings (2nd point and evidence)

  P: There are inconsistent findings for the importance of fathers.

  
  

  E: Research by McCallum and Golombok (2004) found that children from single mother and same sex (female) families do not develop differently from children in a 2 parent, heterosexual setting.
• Inconsistent findings (Explaination)

  E: This opposes Grossman's research that found fathers played an important role in child development, yet instead in regards to 'play'. As a result, study findings do not appear to be reliable and consistent across all studies.
• Inconsistent findings (Link)

  L: Therefore, the answer to the question of 'what role the fathers plays' in attachment is still not clear. Perhaps it is important but not vital.
• Inconsistent findings CP adaption


  P: However, it may be argued that the role of the father is distinctive and important and parents in a single mother and same sex (female) family are just able to adapt to not having a father.

  Alternatively, one of the parents could just 'fill' the 'male' role.
• Lack of clarity (3rd point and evidence)

  P: Research into the duty of the Father, lacks clarity when asking what the role actually is.

  
  

  E: Some studies investigate fathers as secondary attachments e.g Grossman who found that fathers with secondary attachments to their child, held an important job in their development. However, other studies (Field et al) look into the father as the primary caregiver instead.
• Lack of clarity (explaination)

  Ex: The disparity in research creates confusion over findings and makes it difficult to offer a straightforward answer to what the 'role' actually is, as it depends on which specific role is being discussed. (Primary or secondary or 'playmate')
• Lack of clarity (Link)

  L: Therefore, incoherent questions lead to incoherent answers, questioning the credibility of findings from research into the role of the father.