Essay
outline the role of the father in attachment
- Course
- Institution
An A* essay on role of the father. This may be a possible essay in 2025 A-level exams. Scored 13-14/ 16
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
hareem
Content preview
Outline and evaluate the role of the father in the development of attachmentTraditionally when we think about primary infant caregivers or attachment we think in terms
of mother-infant attachment and interactions. The role of the father back in the day was
limited as they would go to work to provide resources for the family while the mothers stayed
at home and raised the children. Though overtime the role of the father has changed and
developed significantly as men are more hands on with their children and infants than
before. There has been much research done supporting and opposing the role of the father
in developing attachments with infants.
According to schaffer et al, 75% of secondary attachments to the father were developed by
the time the infant was 18 months while 39% were built within a month of forming a primary
attachment. This was displayed by separation anxiety when the father left the infant which is
a sign of attachment. This suggests that the fathers role is important in the early years of
child's attachment even though it may not be the first infant attachment.
Research done by geiger found that fathers had a different role to a mothers role. This was
due to the father's interactions with the infant being more fun and exciting compared to the
mothers more nurturing and affectionate interactions. This suggests how the fathers role is
more to do with as a playmate than a sensitive responsive parent as their interactions are
more focused around play unlike a mothers. This could therefore be a reason as to why
fathers play a secondary role rather than primary in developing infant attachments .
Furthermore, researching opposing the role of the fathers not being primary attachments to
infants was done by hardy. They found that it was due to the males genetic makeup,
specifically their lack of oestrogen, explained why fathers were less able to detect stress in
infants compared to mothers. They argued males were not biologically equipped to
understand infant emotions.. This provides evidence that fathers are not able to provide
nurturing and sensitive responsiveness, which is important in development of attachment as
identified by Schaffer and Emerson, as they are biologically restricted in detecting distress in
infants. Thus supporting biological explanations of the father's role not being primary in the
development of infant attachment.
However this does not mean that the father cannot become the primary attachment figure,
as suggested by Field. She observed the interactions between infants and their primary
caregivers ( mother or father). She found primary fathers , like mothers, spent more time
giving attention, smiling at the infant compared to the secondary fathers. This suggests
males are also capable of taking a nurturing and affectionate approach which discredits
biological explanations and expectations of mothers being the primary attachment and
caregiver. This therefore strengthens the idea that sensitive responsiveness is more
important and key to attachment relationships and developing, not gender of the attachment/
parent.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller hareem. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.02. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
80630 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now