Role of the father

• Research evidence- Attachment with the father

  • Schaffer and Emerson,
  • In 75% of the infant studies, an attachment was formed with the father at the age of 18 months.
  • This was determined by the fact that infants protested when their father moved away.
  • Fathers are more likely to be secondary attachment figures.
• Grossman- Importance of attachment

  • Longitudinal study
  • Looked at both parents quality of attachments, with their infant
  • They found that quality of attachment with mother was more important on the teenagers attachment, in comparison to father.
  • Fathers attachment less important
• Main role of fathers

  • fathers play with infants was related to the quality of adolescents attachments.
  • So fathers role in attachment is more to do with stimulation and play and less to do with emotional development.
• Fathers as primary caregivers

  • Field et al
  • Filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers, and primary caregiver fathers.
  • Results found primary caregiver fathers like mothers spent more time imitating, smiling and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers.
  • Suggests that fathers have the potential to be the emotional-focused primary attachment figure and can provide the emotional responsiveness required for an attachment.
• Confusion over research questions

  • Some researchers attempt to answer this question by investigating the role of the father as a secondary attachment figure, whilst others are concerned with fathers as a primary attachment figure.
  • Some research has suggested that fathers behave differently to mothers and have a distinct role of play, whereas other research has suggested that fathers can take on a maternal role.
  • This makes it difficult to offer a simple answer to what the role of the father actually is.
• Contradicting evidence

  • MacCallum and Golombock, found children growing up in a single or same-sex parent family, do not develop any differently from those in a 2 parent heterosexual family.
  • Contradicts research which suggested that fathers play a role as secondary attachment figure and that they are influential when it comes to play. This questions the extent to which fathers are important when forming attachments, as surely children should develop differently without one.
  • We are unaware whether they play a vital role in attachment.
• Real world application

  • Can be used to offer advice to parents
  • Parents and prospective parents sometimes agonise over decisions like who should take primary-caregiver role. Mothers may feel pressurised to stay at home due to stereotypical views. Equally, fathers may be pressured to work rather than parenting.
  • Research could be used to offer reassuring advice to parents. For example, heterosexual parents can be informed that fathers can become primary attachment figures
  • Therefore, this suggests that parental anxiety about the role of father can be reduced.