Role of the father

• Primary caregivers

  Schaffer and Emerson found that the majority of babies became attached to their mothers first (around 7 months). In only 3% of cases, the father was the first sole object of attachment. In 27% of cases, the father was the joining first object of attachment with the mother.
• Forming secondary attachments

  In 75% of babies studied an attachment was formed with the father by the age of 18 months. This was indicated by the fact the babies protested when their father walked away, a sign of attachment.
• Grossmann et al

  Grossmann et al carried out a longitudinal study looking at parents' behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children's attachment into their teens. This research found that quality of attachment with the father was less important for adolescent attachment than the quality of attachment with the mother. Therefore, fathers may be less important in long term emotional development.
• Grossmann et al contradictory findings

  However, Grossman also found that the quality of fathers play with babies was related to quality of adolescent attachments. This suggests that fathers have a different role in attachment, one that fathers have a different role in attachment, one that is more to do with play and stimulation and less to do with emotional care.
• Fathers as primary attachment figures

  Some evidence suggests that when fathers do take on the role of being the main caregiver they adopt behaviours more typical of mothers. Field filmed 4 month old babies and found that primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding babies than secondary caregiver fathers. These behaviours are related to interactional synchrony and the formation of an emotional attachment.
• Level of response is important

  Smiling imitating and holding babies (interactional synchrony) are behaviours that are important in building a primary attachment with a baby. So it seems the father can be the more 'emotional' attachment figure. The key to the attachment relationship is the level of responsiveness not the gender of the parent.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is confusion over research questions. Some psychologists want to understand the role of fathers s secondary attachment figures. But others are more concerned with fathers as a primary attachment figure. The former have tended to see fathers as behaving differently from mothers and having a distinct role. The latter have found that fathers can take on a maternal role. This means psychologists cannot easily answer the simple question of 'what is the role of the father?'.
• Evaluation

  One strength is using findings in parenting advice. Mothers may feel pressured to stay at home and fathers to focus on work. This may not be the best solution for all families. Research on the flexibility of the role of the father can be used to offer reassuring advice to parents. This means that parental anxiety about the role of the father can be reduced and parenting decisions made easier.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is biased research. Preconceptions about how fathers behave are created by discussions about mothers' and fathers' parenting behaviour. Stereotypes may cause observer bias and lead to inaccurate observations. This means that observational studies of fathers may lack validity and conclusions cannot be trusted.