Role of the Father

• What is the Father's Role?

  • Not important - Grossman (2000) found the quality of attachment with the mother was important when exmaining adolescent attachments, but the quality of the fathers was not
• What is the father's role?

  • Multiple attachment- Schaffer & Emerson (1964) found that 75% of babies have attached to their fathers by the age of 18 months, becoming an important secondary attachment to the mother
• What is the father's role?

  • Play role- Grossman et al (2000) found that the quality of father's play with their babies was linked to the quality of attachment in adolescence, suggesting a play role rather than an emotional role
• What is the father's role?

  • primary caregiver- fathers have the potential to be a primary attachment figure. Field (1978) filmed reactions of infants to fathers and found that primary caregiving fathers spent more time interacting, smiling, imitating and holding infants, similar to mothers
• Evaluation of the role of the father

  • Inconsistent research- some researchers examine fathers as a primary figure and some as secondary. Meaning we cannot simply answer "what is the role of the father?"
  • Real-world application- parents can be reassured that fathers can be effective primary caregivers if the mother wants to work
  • Father's role not important- MacCullum & Golombok (2004) found children in single/same sex parent families do not develop any differently