The Role of the Father

• what did schaffer and emerson (1964) find about the role of the father?

  by 18 months 75% of infants had formed an attachment to their father
• what did grossman et al (2002) find about the role of the father?

  • fathers role was more concerned with play time and entertainment
  • the quality of their fathers play related to the quality of their adolescent attachments
• what did field et al (1978) find about the role of the father?

  • primary caregiver fathers took on a more maternal role - holding and smiling at the babies
  • different to secondary caregiver fathers
• limitations of role of the father?

  • complex question to ask what it is - are we looking at the father as a primary or secondary caregiver?
  • conflicting evidence - grossman said they are essential secondary caregivers - this doesnt explain why babies of single mothers and lesbian parents are fine.