ROLE OF FATHER

• EVOLUTIONARY THEORY?

  women are better caregivers than men due to hormonal differences

  -> resulting in empathy due to challenges in EEA
• RESEARCHERS?

  • Schaffer + Emerson
  • Lamb
  • other
• SCHAFFER + EMERSON RESEARCH?

  • mothers more likely to be primary attachment figure
  • 75% formed attachment with father by 18 months
  • fathers spend less time with infants
  • breastfeeding, paid maternal leave
• LAMB RESEARCH?

  • little relationship in time spent with father and relationship
  • attachment based on quality time
• OTHER RESEARCH?

  • father more likely to adopt traditional maternal role in single parent family
  • fathers role might depend on child gender
  • emphasis on father sensitivity not involvement
• EVALUATION?

  • Ang
  • Grossman
  • Biblarz + Stacey
• ANG ARGUMENT?

  • Asian-American boys, poor relationships with father
  • more aggressive at school
  • perception of mother/ father's support vs teacher-student relationship
  • perception of mother's support did not predict teacher relationship (father did)
• GROSSMAN ARGUMENT?

  • father's role is in play and stimulation not attachment
  • quality with father less influential than quality with mother
  • play quantitatively different role
  • still as important
• BIBLARZ AND STACEY ARGUMENT?

  • fails to consider same sex parents
  • quality of care and stimulation determines attachment not parent's gender
  • other research excludes same sex parents
  • lacks temporal validity