role of the father Flashcards
attachment to fathers
schaffer and emerson - 3% was sole attachment, 27% father was joint first attachment with mother
75% formed attachment by 18 months
distinctive role for father
grossman et al - longitudinal study
baby until teens
quality of a baby’s attachment with mothers and not fathers related to attachments in adolescence
also found quality of father’s play with baies related
fathers have different role - play and stimulation
fathers as primary attachment
Field
- filmed interactions of 4-month babies
primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding babies than secondary caregiver
fathers have potential to be more emotion-focused
confusion over research questions
P - limited as role of father lacks clarity
E - differences in ways researchers approach what is the role of the father
E - some want to understand role, others only concerned with primary attachment
L - difficult to offer a simple answer as depends which specific role is being discussed
conflicting evidence
P - limited as findings vary according to methodology
E - longitudinal found secondary attachment figures have important role - play and stimulation
E - if fathers have distinctive role, lesbian or single mother families would be different but studies show children do not develop differently - fact studies eg McCallum and Golombok
L - question as to whether fathers have distinctive role remains unanswered
P - lines of research may not conflict
E - fathers typically take on distinctive roles in two parent families
E - parents can adapt to accommodate role
L - fathers tend to adopt a distinctive role, but families can adapt to not having a father
real-world application
P - strength is that it can be used to offer advice to parents
E - who should take on the primary caregiver role - mother feels pressured to conform to stereotypical roles and father pressured to work
E - may not be economically best solution and research can reassure parents
L - parental anxiety can be reduced
