the role of the father

• majority of babies attach to mother first. In 3% of cases, babies attach to father first. 27% of cases where father and mother together at same time first. In 75% of babies studies, attachment was formed with the father by the age of 18 months
• Grossmann et al. carried longitudinal study looking at parents’ behaviours and its relationship to quality of children’s attachments into their teens. This research found that quality of attachment with the father was less important for adolescent attachment than the mother. Grossmann et al. also found that quality of fathers’ play with babies was related to quality of adolescent attachment. This suggests that fathers have a different role in attachment, one that is more to do with play and less to do with emotional care
• Evidence suggest that when fathers do take on the role of being the main caregivers they adopt behaviours more typical of mothers. Field filmed 4 month old babies and found primary caregiver father spent more time smiling, imitating and holding babies than secondary caregiver fathers
• the economic implications of research into the role of the father are:

  • gender pay gap may be reduced if parental roles are regarded as more equal
  • the changing of laws on paternity leave which is government funded so will affect the economy and impact employers
• One limitation of the role of the father is that there is confusion over research questions. Some psychologists want to understand the role of fathers as secondary attachment figures. But others are more concerned with father as a primary attachment figure. The former have tended to see father as behaving differently from mother and having a distinct role. The latter have found that fathers can take on a ‘maternal’ role. This means psychologists cannot easily answer the simple question ‘what is the role of the father?’
• One limitation of the role of the father is that there is conflicting evidence from different methodologies. Grossmann et al. suggest fathers have a distinct role in children’s development, involving play and stimulation. However, McCallum and Golombok found that children without father do not develop differently. This means the question of whether fathers have a distinctive role remains unanswered
• One strength of the role of the father is using findings in parenting advice. Mothers may feel pressured to stay at home and fathers to focus on work. This may not be the best solution for all families. Research on the flexibility of the role of the father can be used to offer reassuring advice to parents. This means that parental anxiety about the role of fathers can be reduced and parenting decisions made easier