Lesson 3 - The role of the father

Question 1

When do babies attach to the father?

Answer 1

Schaffer and Emerson (1964) showed that 3% of infants attach to the father and 27% to both parents. By 18 months 75% had formed an attachment to the father based on whether they showed separation protest to them.

Question 2

Why might infants attach more to the mother?

Answer 2

Could be explain using biology

Mothers have a higher amount of oestrogen compared to fathers, which modifies neurotransmitter activity and therefore emotional and cognitive reactions. In a nutshell, mothers may be more sensitive and nurturing compared to fathers.

Question 3

Which attachment is more important?

Answer 3

Grossman et al (2002) found that the attachment to the father is less important than that of the mother. This study was longitudinal, from infancy up until teenage years. It was found that the quality of the attachment to the mother was more important than the father’s in attachments in adolescence. The fathers role was found to be more associated with emotional stimulation and play.

Question 4

Can fathers be primary attachments?

Answer 4

Field (1978) investigated the interactions of 4 month old infants with primary fathers, primary mothers and secondary fathers. Similarly primary mothers and fathers evoked behaviours such as smiling, laughing and showing reciprocity/IS. Secondary fathers did not evoke the same reactions. Fathers CAN be primaries like mothers.

As well as this, despite being a vast minority, 3% of infants formed a primary attachment to their father, compared to 65% to their mother.

Question 5

Strengths of the role of the father

Answer 5

• The research around the role of the father can be used to give parents advice and break stereotypes around stay-at-home parenting
• It emphasises that both parents have important but different roles, therefore it is important that fathers are present in their childrens’ lives just as much as the mother.

Question 6

Weaknesses of the role of the father

Answer 6

• The debate on why mothers may be more commonly primary attachments could be influenced by many factors, for example the age, health or work-life balance of the father, or on the flip side, the biological argument (oestrogen levels/hormones). It is therefore unclear.
• MacCallum and Golombrook (2004) showed that children in lesbian and single mother families did not develop differently to two parent heterosexual families. The role of the father is not needed