May not be physiologically equipped, women have oestrogen, which gives more caring behaviour, so more care orientated
Can form as primary attachment figure in cases of single parents
Can share the role of primary attachment figure in two-parent families
Father accessibility time
May be the reason for the less likely chance of being primary attachment figure
Fathers as secondary attachment figures
More playful, physically active, better at providing challenging situations for child
Fathers have an important role as secondary attachment figures
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) - found that the majority of babies did become attached to their mother first (around 7 months) - within a few weeks or months formed secondary attachments to other family members, including the father - In 75% of the infants studied an attachment was formed the father by 18 months. This was determined by the fact that the infants protested when their father walked away - a sign of attachment
Grossman (2002) - Longitudinal study looking at both parents’ behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children’s attachments into their teens. - Quality of infant attachment with mothers, but not fathers, was related to children’s attachment in adolescence, suggesting that father attachment was less important. - The quality of fathers' play with infants, however, was related to the quality of adolescent attachments
Tiffany Field (1978) - filmed 4-month-old babies in face-to-face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers. - Primary caregiver fathers, like mothers, spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than the secondary caregiver fathers. . - Fathers can be the more nurturing attachment figure and the key to the attachment relationship is the level of responsiveness, not the gender of the parent.