role of the father

• Limitation of this is the lack of clarity of the question being asked. The question  ‘what is the role of a father?’ is more complicated than it sounds. Some researchers attempting to answer this question are trying to understand  the role of secondary attachment figures, but others are concerned about when they are primary attachment figures. The former have tended to see fathers behaving differently from mothers and have a distinct role. The latter have found that fathers can take on a maternal role. This makes it difficult to answer the question as it depends what role is being discussed.
• However, these lines of research may not be in conflict. It could be that fathers take on a distinct role in a two way heterosexual relationship but single mother parents and lesbian parents may adapt to accommodate the roles played by fathers.This means that the questions whether fathers have a distinct question is clear after all. When present fathers may have a distinct role but can adapt to not having a father.
• Limitation findings can vary depending on the methodology used. Longitudinal studies e.g Grossmann 2002 suggested that fathers as secondary attachment figures have an important and distinct role in their child's development. but if fathers distinct and important role mean that we would expect a single parent's mother and a lesbian parents would turn out differently to a heterosexual parents. In fact, McCallum and Golombok 2004 consistently show that these children do not turn out differently to children with two heterosexual parents. This means dont know if father has distinct role
• Strength used to offer advice to parents. Parents and prospective parents sometimes agonise over decisions like who would take on the pcg. For some this can make them worry if children are the right option for them. parents pressure to respond to stereotypes of heteronormativity. In some families this may not be economically viable. Researchers into the role of father can offer reassuring advice to parents, such as parents in heterosexual relationships they are able to reassure that the father is capable of becoming the pcg. means parental anxiety about role of a father reduced.
•  Schaffer and Emerson 1964 found that the majority of babies first become attached to their mother around 7 months. In only 3% of cases the father was the first attachment figure. In 27% of cases the father was the joint first attachment figure. It appears that most fathers appear to become important attachment figures. 75% of the babies studied by Schaffer and Emerson had an attachment to their father around 18 months. This was shown when the babies showed separation anxiety when the fathers left the child.
• Grossmann 2002 longitudinal study. Researchers looked at the parents' behaviour and the quality of their babies' attachment to other people. Quality of mam attachment but not dad crucial in attachment in adolescence. This suggests that attachment to fathers is less important than in mothers. He also found that the quality of fathers' play and stimulation was important in adolescence. This suggests that the fathers role is important and is different to the mothers as it is more to do with play and stimulation and less emotional development.
• Field 1978 filmed 4 month old babies face to face interaction with pcg mother, pcg father, and scg father. Pcg mothers spent more time smiling and imitating their baby compared to scg fathers. These are all signs of interactional synchrony and reciprocity which are part of the attachment process. Fathers have the potential to be a more emotionally focused pcg figure as they are able to provide the responsiveness for a close emotional attachment but it may only happen when they are given the pcg role.
•  baby's first attachment figure has a special emotional significance. A baby's relationship with the primary caregiver forms all the bases of all the close emotional relationships in later life. When fathers do the primary caregiver role they are able to adopt the emotional role which is more commonly associated with the mothers.