Role Of The Father

Question 1

Name 3 roles that the father has according to research

Answer 1

A secondary attachment figure
Have less important role for teens in long term
Preferred play companion for children

Question 2

Outline the fathers role as a secondary attachment figure

Answer 2

Schaffer and Emerson found most babies attached to mother first and father was first sole object of attachment for only 3% of cases
75% of infants formed secondary attachment to father by 18 months

Question 3

Outline the fathers long term role

Answer 3

Grossman (2002) did longitudinal study into parents behaviour and its affect on quality of attachment in teens
Found quality of attachment to father less important for teens than quality of attachment w mother
Concluded fathers less important for long term emotional development

Question 4

Outline the fathers role as a play companion

Answer 4

Bowlby argues fathers are more likely to engage in physically active and novel play w child than the mother
And father tends to become child’s preferred play companion
Most infants prefer contact w father when in positive emotional state and prefer mother when distressed and want comforting
Could be explained by biological evidence eg female hormones (oestrogen) which create higher levels of nurturing

Question 5

Evaluate the role of the father using the idea that fathers may not have distinct roles

Answer 5

Evidence undermines idea that fathers have distinct roles and suggests when fathers take on main caregiver role, they are able to adapt behaviours more typical of mothers
Lamb (1987) found fathers who became main care providers are able to quickly develop more sensitivity to children’s needs and become safe base to explore
Parker observed mothers and fathers interacting w new borns and found fathers are just as good at understanding babies cues eg crying
Studies therefore indicate that both men and women have same potential to become primary attachment figure

Question 6

Evaluate the role of the father using idea that separate roles may not be so important for attachment

Answer 6

Questionable whether separate roles by mother and father are important for attachment formation
Studies found children growing up in same sex or single parent families do not develop differently from those in two parent families (McCallum and Golombok 2004)
Schaffer and Emerson also concluded quality of relationship matters more than quantity in formation of attachments
Therefore suggests key to attachment relationships is level of responsiveness not gender of caregiver

Question 7

Evaluate the role of the father using objective observation

Answer 7

Limitation of research on role of father is social biases prevent objective observation
Are preconceptions about how fathers should behave due to views about traditional gender roles
Stereotypes may cause unintentional observer bias whereby observers ‘see’ what they expect rather than recording actual reality
Limitation as conclusions about role of father in attachment are hard to disentangle from social biases about their role

Question 8

Evaluate role of father using idea research is socially sensitive

Answer 8

Research on role of father is socially sensitive topic
Major implications for lifestyle choices families make when their children are young
As research suggests primary attachment is most likely to be formed w mother, this may push mothers rather than fathers into particular lifestyle choices w economic implications eg not returning back to work or whether to put child in day care setting
However, more current research by Cohn (2014) suggest number of stay at home fathers has quadrupled in past 25 years, illustrating how fathers can be primary attachment figure
Bowlby underestimated role of father and saw fathers role as primarily economic (now seen as outdated and sexist concept)
Highlights how research on role of father is controversial topic in individualistic cultures