The Role of the Father

Question 1

What do Schaffer and Emerson say about the role of the father?

Answer 1

• Infants attach to their mothers first (around 7 months old) which makes them primary attachment figures.
• This may be because mothers are traditionally the primary caregivers who spend most time comforting and feeding their children.
• 75% of children have formed a secondary attachment with their father by 18 months old.

Question 2

What does Bowlby say about the role of the father?

Answer 2

• The mother is the most important attachment, without whom a child will not develop in a healthy way.

Question 3

Compare fathers versus mothers

Answer 3

Traditionally,
- Fathers spend less time with their infants than mothers
- Fathers spend more time going to work (breadwinner)
- Fathers are expected to go out and work and leave their wives to ‘raise the children’)

• Fathers are not as sensitive to the needs of their infants than mothers (Fathers are less emotional → Not aware of their feelings or emotions and might not know how to regulate; not equipped to comfort their child)
• Biologically, men have less oestrogen than women which is linked to caring behaviour
• Being ‘caring’ is often seen as feminine and not manly

Question 4

What research outlines the role of the father?

Answer 4

• Grossman
• Research has consistently shown that fathers are more playful, physically active, and better at providing challenging situations
• Fathers = Exciting playmates, provide play and stimulation
• Mothers = Caring and nurturing

Question 5

Outline a supporting evaluation point of the role of the father

Answer 5

Why don’t fathers become primary caregivers?
P: Research evidence suggests fathers not as equipped as mothers to provide sensitive and nurturing attachment
Ev: Traditional gender roles –> women = emotional, men = masculine) could explain why fathers do not become the primary attachment figure - may feel like they should act according to societal expectations
Further Ev: Taylor = female hormones = higher levels of nurturing = women biologically suitable to be primary attachment figure.
Ex: Supports biological explanation –> lack of oestrogen in men = fathers not equipped innately to form close attachments with their children.
L: Which explains why most infants seek comfort from their mothers when they are upset or frightened –> prefer to be with their fathers in happier and more playful moods.

Question 6

Outline two/three contradicting evaluation points of the role of the father

Answer 6

If fathers have a distinct role, why are children without fathers different?
P: Research suggests secondary attachments fathers play important role in two parent household.
Ev: Grossman found quality of attachment with mother as infants ~ related to attachment in adolescence. Attachment with father as infants ~ no difference in adolescence. Father spent lots of time playing with infants ~ grow up to have a good attachment (with father) in adolescence.
Ex: MacCallum & Golombok found children growing up in single or same-sex parent families do not develop any differently from those in two-parent heterosexual families.
L: Suggests the role of the father as a secondary attachment figure is only important in nuclear families.

Fathers as primary carers
P: Evidence suggests that fathers can successfully become primary attachment figures.
Ev: Field filmed 4-month old babies in face-to-face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, primary caregiver fathers, and secondary caregiver fathers. She found that primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, interacting with, and comforting their children when compared to secondary caregiver fathers.
Ex: This demonstrates that fathers can be the more nurturing attachment figure.
L: Suggests that the key to strong attachment formation is the level of sensitivity to a child’s needs rather than the parent’s gender.

Inconsistent findings
P: An issue with research into the role of the father is that it is inconsistent.
Ev: Some research suggests that fathers have a distinct role that they play (being playful, etc.), whilst other research suggests that there is not a distinct role of the father.
Ex: Difficult to determine what the role of the father is and whether it is important in a child’s development.
L: No concrete answer to the role of the father so it will remain unclear unless further research or a meta analysis (find research with the same aim and make comparisons from the conclusions) is conducted to clarify the question.