The Role of the Father

Question 1

Who takes on the role of the father?

Answer 1

Anyone who takes on the role of the main male caregiver. Can be, but not always the biological father
Fathers play a specific role in development

Question 2

Attachment to fathers

Answer 2

First research into fathers questioned whether fathers are primary or secondary care givers
Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that the majority of babies had mothers had primary attachment figures
- In only 3% of the cases the father was the first sole object of attachment
- In 27% of cases the father was the joint first object of attachment
- However, it appears that most fathers go on to become important attachment figures. In 75% of infants an attachment was formed with the father by 18 months old

Question 3

Distinctive role of fathers

Answer 3

Second research questioned whether the father had an unique role in development
Grossmann et al (2002) longitudinal study on babies attachment until they were teens
Looked at parents behaviour and the relationship to the quality of their baby’s attachment to other people
Found that the quality of a baby’s attachment to their mother (rather than that to their father) was related to quality of later attachment in adolescence
This suggests that attachment to the father is less important than attachment to mothers
However, the quality of father’s play with babies was related to quality of adolescent attachments

Question 4

Fathers as primary attachment figures

Answer 4

Some evidence that when fathers take on the role of main caregiver they adopt behaviours more typical of mothers

Field (1978) filmed 4 month old babies in face-to-face interaction with:
1. Primary care-giver = mother
2. Secondary care-giver = father
3. Primary care-giver = father

They found that primary caregiver fathers (like mothers) spent more time smiling, imitating and holder infants than secondary caregiver fathers. These behaviours are all part of reciprocity and interactional synchrony and are important in building attachments.

Question 5

Limitation - confusion over research questions

Answer 5

Researchers have looked at fathers as the secondary attachment and the primary attachment figure, while trying to investigate the same questions

Secondary attachment - fathers have a completely different role
Primary attachment - fathers take on a more ‘maternal’ role

Depends on the role being discussed

Question 6

Limitation - conflicting evidence

Answer 6

Findings vary dependent on what research methods are used
Longitudinal studies (e.g. Grossman) suggested that fathers as a secondary attachment have a distinct role - play and stimulation

However, studies of single-mothers and single sex-parent families (McCallum and Golombok, 2004) consistently showed that these children didn’t develop differently from children in two-parent heterosexual families
COUNTERPOINT TO CONFLICTING EVIDENCE -it could be that the parent in the McCallum and Golombok study adapted to accommodate the role played by fathers

Question 7

Real world application - strength

Answer 7

Parental anxiety about the role of the father can be reduced

Mothers may feel pressured to stay at home because of stereotypical views
Fathers feel that they are pressured to work

Research into the ‘Role of the father’ can offer reassurance

Heterosexual couples - informed that fathers are capable of becoming primary attachment figures
Single-parent/same-sex couples - children’s development is not affected by not having a father around