Caregiver-Infant Interactions: Role of the father Flashcards
(9 cards)
Something about Schaffer’s findings on separation anxiety-fathers playing an important role in their infants lives (3)
*Schaffer found that infants’ primary attachment figure was most frequently their mother alone (65%); 30% both parents and only 3% the father alone.
*However at 18 months 75% of infants had informed an attachment with their father
*Showing separation anxiety suggesting fathers play an important role in their infants lives
The role of the father: Importance of active play (3)
*Fathers are seen to engage babies in active play activities more consistently than mothers.
*Fathers interactions emphasise stimulation
* And so is thought their role is to encourage risk taking behaviours, compared to the more comfort style of mothers
The role of the father: As a primary caregiver (3)
*In modern Western society mothers are more likely to take part in the workplace
*There is evidence to suggest that if men take on the role of primary caregivers their international style changes to be more like mothers
*Increasing their capacity for sensitive responsiveness
Field (1978)-Role of the father (4)
*Field (1978) Observed primary caretaker mothers, primary caretaker fathers and secondary caretaker fathers interacting with their 4 month old infants
*Finding fathers in general focused more on game playing and less on holding.
*Additionally, the primary caretaker fathers showed more sensitive responsive behaviour, similar to mothers
*For example, they used more smiling and child directed speech than secondary caretaker fathers
Grossman(2002) (4)
*Grossman(2002) carried out a longitudinal study looking at both parents and behaviour and its relationship to the quality of children’s attachments into their teens.
*Quality of infant attachment with mothers but not fathers was related to their children’s attachments in adolescence, suggesting that the fathers attachment was less important
*However, the quality of fathers’ play with infants was related to the quality of adolescent attachments.
*This suggests that fathers have a different role in attachments- one that is more to do with play and stimulation, and less to do with nurturing
Verissimo (2011)-Role of the father in socialisation
*Verissimo (2011) Observed preschool children’s relationship with their mothers and fathers
*Then later conducted a follow up assessment of social interactions when the children started nursery.
*A strong attachment to the father was the best predictor of the ability to make friends in school, suggesting an important role for fathers in socialisation
Pro and Con of the role of the father (4)
*There are economic implications to research assessing the importance of the fathers role
*;this could lead to legislation that ensures equal paternity and maternity leave.
*Whilst this may reduce the number of males in the workforce, reduce economic activity, and place pressure on businesses, equalising maternity and paternity leave
*It should help to address the gender pay gap which is in part due to the need to extend absences by mothers caring for their infants
Goes against grossman-fathers role is not important as a sexondary attahcemnt figure (3)
*A weakness of research into the role of the father is that it does not explain why children without fathers develop no differently
*MacCallum and Golombok (2004) found children growing up in single or same sex parent families do not develop any differently from those in two parent heterosexual families
*This would seem to suggest that the fathers role as a secondary attachment figure is not imporant
What are the names of the studies in this chapter (Give the year with a short description too)
