Attachment - The Role of the Father

Question 1

From Schaffer and Emerson’s study, what percentage of fathers were the primary attachment figure?

Answer 1

3%

Question 2

Expectation of fathers in modern western culture?

Answer 2

That father should play greater role in brining up children

Question 3

Why do father have a more active role in modern society?

Answer 3

Because the number of mothers working full time has increased in recent decades

Question 4

Who’s study in 2002 was a key piece of research into the role of the father?

Answer 4

Grossman

Question 5

What did Grossman conduct and what did he look at?

Answer 5

A longitudinal study looking at both parent’s behaviours and the relationship this has to the quality of attachments

Question 6

What was the quality of infant attachments with mothers related to according to Grossman?

Answer 6

Children’s attachment in adolescence

Question 7

What was the quality of the fathers play with infants related to according to Grossman?

Answer 7

Their attachments in adolescence

Question 8

How do fathers have a different role in attachments according to Grossman?

Answer 8

Fathers = play
Mothers = nurturing

Question 9

In what country was a key piece of research conducted?

Answer 9

Israel

Question 10

According to the Israel study, what makes women better at parenting than men?

Answer 10

There is nothing inherent about women that makes them ‘better’ at parenting

Question 11

How come primary caregivers are more responsive to emotional cues of children?

Answer 11

Because they develop neural pathways in their exhausted brains which make this happen

Question 12

What did the Israel study find about neural pathways in fathers and mothers?

Answer 12

The same neural pathways developed in fathers who were primary caregivers as in mothers

Question 13

According to evidence, when do men adopt behaviours more typical of mothers?

Answer 13

When they take on the role of being the primary caregiver

Question 14

Who provided research support for the role of fathers? When?

Answer 14

Field in 1978

Question 15

Field’s method

Answer 15

Filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interactions with primary caregiver mothers, primary caregiver fathers and secondary caregiver fathers

Question 16

What did Field find about primary caregiver fathers in comparison to secondary caregiver fathers?

Answer 16

Primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding the infant than secondary caregiver fathers

Question 17

What can you conclude from Field’s research support for the role of fathers?

Answer 17

The key to attachment relationships is the level of responsiveness NOT the gender of the parent

Question 18

Why is the role of fathers hard to generalise?

Answer 18

Because numerous factors affect the fathers roles and the impact of it

Question 19

What are the economic implications of the role of fathers?

Answer 19

Mothers will feel pressured to stay home because research says they are vital for healthy child development - means they can’t be at work earning money to provide for family

Question 20

What did McCallum and Golombok find about children growing up in single / same sex families?

Answer 20

They didn’t develop different to kids growing up under two parents

Question 21

How has this had impacts of social policy?

Answer 21

Paid paternity leave introduced in 2002 in UK which has impacts on ECONOMY

Question 22

What are the stereotypical views of men?

Answer 22

They should be breadwinner

Question 23

How do cultural differences go against Gossman’s research?

Answer 23

Fathers in M/C Indian families less likely to engage in play than mothers