Role of the Father

• Why did research into attachment only focus on the role of the mother

  • mothers took on the main caregiving responsibilities
  • But nowadays, it is more usual for both mothers and fathers to be involved in parenting
• Main theories about the role of the father

  1. Fathers find it hard to form attachments because they lack sensitive responsiveness
  2. Fathers play the role of a playmate
  3. Fathers are just as caring and sensitive as mothers
• Theory: Fathers lack sensitive responsiveness

  Fathers lack the sensitivity and nurturing personality to form any attachment with their children
• Theory: Fathers play the role of a playmate

  Fathers play the role of playmate with their children, whereas mums play the role of carer
• Theory: role of father is similar to a mother

  Fathers are just as caring and sensitive as mothers, and can form similar attachments to their children as mothers can
• Role of the father: Bowlby

  
  

  • Bowlby thought that attachments were unique, monotropic bonds formed between babies and their mothers because mothers have naturally evolved to respond to social releasers, and want to look after their babies
  • However Bowbly thought that dads didn't have the sensitivity or nurturing personality needed to form attachments with their babies - they lack sensitive responsiveness
• Role of the father: Schaffer and Emerson

  Schaffer and Emerson showed that babies form multiple attachments and do form attachments with their fathers
• Ouline: Grossman Et Al (2002) (role of the father study)


  • Grossman conducted a longitudinal study looking at the relationship between parents and their children as toddlers and at age 6, 10 and 16
  • Grossman measured strength of attachment and parent’s play sensitivity and the child’s internal working model
• Findings: Grossman Et Al (2002) (role of the father)

  • Their study supports the idea that dads function as a playmate and mothers provide care
  • Children’s internal working model was associated with the play sensitivity of their dad and the strength of their attachment to their mum but not their dad
• Outline: Field Et Al study (role of the father)

  • They conducted an observational study using frame-by-frame analysis to look at interactions between parents and their children
  • They measured the sensitive responsiveness of the parents and the amount of time they spent playing with their child
• Findings: Field Et Al study

  • They found that dads who were the primary caregiver displayed as much sensitive responsiveness as mothers
  • They found that dads usually play more with their children and mums displayed more sensitive responsiveness
• Outline: Brown Et Al (2012)

  They conducted a longitudinal study looking at the father-child relationship at 13 months and at 3 years of age
• Findings: Brown Et Al (2012)

  • The more involved and sensitive the fathers were when the child was 13 months, the stronger their attachment to their child when the child was 3 years old
  • When fathers spend a lot of time looking after their children, their attachment with their child begins to look more like that formed between mothers and children
• cultural factors that can influence the role of the father

  • Until recently, fathers couldn’t get paid paternity leave
  • Social gender roles
• Cultural Factor affecting the role of the father

  Society places strong expectations on the father to act as the breadwinner and the mother to act as the caregiver. These strong social norms have led to certain expectations about how men and women should behave
• Cultural Factor: role of the father

  Fathers couldn't get paid paternity leave, making it harder for them to take on primary caregiving responsibilities