Role Of The Father

Question 1

Schaffer and Emerson found that fathers are..

Answer 1

Secondary attachment figures, majority of babies attach to their mother first and in only 3% of cases the father was the first sole object of attachment

Question 2

Grossman found that

Answer 2

Quality of attachment with the father was less important for the teen than the quality of attachment with the mother

Question 3

Bowlby suggested that

Answer 3

Father’s play is more important, father role is to engage in physically active and novel play than the mother and tends to become his child’s preferred play companian

Question 4

What did lamb find

Answer 4

That fathers who become main caregivers seem to be able to quickly develop more sensitivity to children’s needs and become a safe base from which to explore

Question 5

What did Parke find

Answer 5

He observed mothers and fathers behaviour towards their new-born babies. They found that fathers are not only as interested as the mother in their babies but they are just as good at understanding the babies’ cues. Theses studies therefore indicate that both men and women have the same potential to become primary attachment figures

Question 6

What are major implications for the lifestyle choices families make when their children are young

Answer 6

Research suggests that the primary attachment will most likely be the mother rather than the father. The law of accumulated separation by bowlby also states that having substantial time apart from the primary attachment figure increases the risk of a poor quality attachment that will disadvantage the child in a range of ways later. This may therefore push mothers rather than fathers into particular lifestyle choices with economic implications such as not returning back to work when a child is born or whether to place the child in a day care setting. This therefore highlights how research into the role of the father is a controversial topic in individualistic cultures