the role of the father AO3

• A limitation of the research into the role of the father is that there is a lot of conflicting evidence.


  • Grossman’s (2002) study found that fathers as secondary attachment figures had an important role in their child’s development.
  • We would therefore expect that children growing up in single-mother and lesbian-parent families would turn out differently in some way. However, research has found that this is not the case
• What does the large amount of conflicting evidence tell us about the role of the father?

  This means that the question as to whether fathers have an important distinctive role remains unclear.
• Research into the role of the father is socially sensitive.


  • The claim that the majority of fathers are secondary attachment figures, as well as the claim that children without fathers are no different from those with fathers suggests that the father’s role is less important than the mothers.
  • This could even suggest that fathers do not play a significant role in their children’s lives.
• What does the fact that the research is socially sensitive tell us about the role of fathers?

  The implication of this is that it could create distress for fathers and may even lead to reduced rights for fathers in legal proceedings and wider society.
• Research into the role of fathers in attachment is confusing because researchers who study them ask different research questions. 


  • Some are interested in understanding the role of fathers as secondary attachment figures whereas others are more concerned with the father as a primary attachment figure.
  • The former have tended to see fathers behaving differently from mothers and having a distinct role.
  • The latter have tended to find that fathers can take on a ‘maternal’ role.
• What does the fact that research into the role of fathers is confusing tell us about the role of the father?

  These inconsistent findings are a problem because it means that psychologists cannot easily answer the seemingly straightforward question of: ‘what is the role of the father?’
• One strength of research into the role of the father is that it can be used to offer advice to parents.

  • Research into the role of the father could be used to reassure parents and prospective parents in that it could be used to inform parents that fathers are just as able to take on the role of the primary caregiver as mothers are.
  • It can also be used to reassure single-parent and lesbian-parent families that not having a father around doesn’t have any negative effect on the child’s development.
• what implications does research into the role of the father being used to offer advice to parents have ?

  the research has practical application in the real world in terms of offering reassurance and reducing anxiety to both prospective and current parents.