Role of the father

• Schaffer and Emerson found that only 3% of fathers were the infants' primary caregivers.
• Cultural factors in RotF: Society's expectation that men must be the 'breadwinners' of the family, with little direct involvement with a child's upbringing.
• Economic factors in RotF: Affect the father's involvement in childcare due to gender pay gap, women tend to earn less than men so household income favoured over infant care.
• Social policies in RotF: Fathers only given 2 weeks paternity leave until recently, Fathers must return to work before forming a secure attachment with the child, mothers given longer maternity leave so this role is implied. Recently changed, fathers have equal/full leave so quality of attachment improves.
• Biological factors in RotF: Males lack biological sensitivity to infant cues, lack hormones such as oestrogen which helps mothers respond to infants emotional needs. (Frodi) Men responded similarly to video of crying child to women, suggests biology is not essential factor.
• The child (age/gender) in RotF: (Freeman) male children more likely to favour their father as an attachment figure. Children are more likely to be attached to the father in late childhood, not as infants or young adults.
• Temperament: Fathers are less likely to be involved if the child has a difficult temperament (Manlove).
• Fathers are more likely to be involved in their children's play, instruction and guidance. This is due to the quality of interactions (rough and tumble play) which teaches children important cognitive skills, allowing attachments to form without increasing quantity of interactions.
• Limitation of RotF research: Numerous influences have impact on development such as culture, marital intimacy, father's beliefs, time spent home etc. These are difficult to control, so conclusions cannot easily be drawn about RotF. Psychologists unable to answer what the true role of the father is.
• Limitation of RotF, inconsistent findings. Some research focus on father as a primary attachment figure, some on a secondary attachment figure. Men may be confused on how to parent correctly in real-world application due to inconsistent results in research.