Multiple Attachments and the Role of the Father

Question 1

What percentage of marriages end in divorce?

Answer 1

42%.

Question 2

What percentage of single-parent families are female led with minimal biological paternal involvement?

Answer 2

90%.

Question 3

What percentage of households are male led?

Answer 3

10%.

Question 4

What did Bowlby believe about infant attachments? (1993)

Answer 4

Children had one prime attachment (monotropy) and that although children had attachments to other people, these were of minor importance compared to their main attachment.

Children have one primary attachment figure, usually the mother, although he conceded that this could, in some cases, be the father.

Question 5

What did Rutter propose in 1995?

Answer 5

A model of multiple attachments that saw all attachments combining together to help form a child’s internal working model.

Question 6

What is an internal working model?

Answer 6

A cognitive framework that acts as a template for future relationships.

Question 7

What can be used to support Rutter’s ideas of model of multiple attachments?

Answer 7

Shaffer and Emerson’s 1964 study findings.

Question 8

Many researchers see the father less as a caregiver, and more of what? Why?

Answer 8

Less as a caregiver, and more of a playmate.

This is because fathers’ play is often more physical, unpredictable and exciting than mothers.

Question 9

Why are mothers’ traditionally seen to be primary care giver? However…?

Answer 9

Perceived nurturing nature, as more able to show sensitive responsiveness.

However, it also seems that males can quickly develop this ability when assuming the position of primary care givers.

Question 10

What are the 4 factors that affect the relationship between fathers and children?

Answer 10

Degrees of sensitivity.

Type of attachment with own parents.

Marital intimacy.

Supportive co-parenting.

Question 11

Outline ‘degrees of sensitivity’ as a factoring that affects the relationship between fathers and children?

Answer 11

More secure attachments to their children are found in fathers who show more sensitivity to the children’s needs.

Question 12

Outline ‘type of attachment with own parents’ as a factoring that affects the relationship between fathers and children?

Answer 12

Single-parent fathers tend to form similar attachments with their children that they had with their own parents.

Question 13

Outline ‘marital intimacy’ as a factoring that affects the relationship between fathers and children?

Answer 13

The degree of intimacy a father has within his relationship with his partner affects the type of attachment he will have with his children.

Question 14

Outline ‘supportive co-parenting’ as a factoring that affects the relationship between fathers and children?

Answer 14

The amount of support a father gives to his partner in helping to care for children affects the type of attachment he will have with his children.

Question 15

Outline Lucassen et al’s research from 2011.

(Supports ‘degree of sensitivity’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 15

Supports ‘degree of sensitivity’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they performed a meta-analysis of studies involving observations and the Strange Situation technique, to find that higher levels of sensitivity were associated with greater levels of infant-father attachment security.

This supports the idea that more secure attachments are found in children whose fathers are more sensitive to their children’s needs.

Question 16

Outline Hrdy’s research from 1999.

(Challenges ‘degree of sensitivity’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 16

Challenges ‘degree of sensitivity’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they reported that fathers are less able than mothers to detect low levels of infant distress.

This suggests males are less suitable as prime attachment figures.

Question 17

Outline Bernier and Milijkovitch’s research from 2009.

(Supports ‘type of attachment with own parents’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 17

Supports ‘type of attachment with own parents’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they found that single-parent fathers’ attachments with children aged 4-6 years were similar to the attachments the fathers had with their own parents.

As no such effect was found with married fathers, it suggests continuity of attachments occurs more in fathers who are the main caregiver.

Question 18

Outline Belsky et al’s research from 2009.

(Challenges ‘type of attachment with own parents’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 18

Challenges ‘type of attachment with own parents’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they found that the closeness of relationships between father and partner affects the types of attachment a father has with his children, more so than with the parents.

This suggests ‘marital intimacy’ is a more significant factor.

Question 19

Outline Belsky et al’s research from 2009.

(Supports ‘marital intimacy’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 19

Supports ‘marital intimacy’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they found that high levels of marital intimacy were related to secure father-infant attachments, and that low levels of marital intimacy were related to insecure father-child attachments.

This supports the idea that the closeness of relationships between fathers and partners affects the type of attachment a father has with his children.

Question 20

Outline Brown et al’s research from 2010.

(Supports ‘supportive co-parenting’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child)

Answer 20

Supports ‘supportive co-parenting’ as a factor affecting the relationship between father and child.

This is because they assessed attachment patterns in 68 families with infants aged 12-13 months, finding that high levels of supportive co-parenting were related to secure attachment types between infants and fathers, but not between infants and mothers.

This suggests that supportive co-parenting is important for fathers in developing positive attachments with their children.