The Role of the Father

Question 1

What did Grossman do and find about the role of the father?

Answer 1

Did a longitudinal study of baby+child attachment to parents. He looked at parent behaviours and the quality of their babies attachment to others. Father’s play with babies was related to quality of adolescent attachment, suggesting that dad’s have a different role from mums - one which is more about play and stimulation than emotional development

Question 2

What did Schafer and Emerson find about attachment to the father?

Answer 2

That father’s are less likely to be a first and primary attachment figure. In less than 5% of cases, the dad is the PAF. Although, most dad’s eventually become important attachment figures. 75% of the infants studies formed an attachment with their dads by 18 months.

Question 3

Who found evidence that father’s can be primary attachment figures?

Answer 3

Field(1978) - filmed 5 month olds in face to face interaction with PC mums, PC dad’s and SC dad’s. He found that PC dads were more like PC mums, suggesting that father’s can provide the interactions needed for close emotional attachment when given the role of PC