3. Discuss research into the role of the father. 16 marks

P1 - Outline role of the father

• fathers play diff. role compared to mothers, focusing more on play and stimulation rather than emotional development (Grossmann et al., 2002).

• As a result, fathers typically seen as secondary caregivers (SCG), providing children w. challenging experiences and engaging in physically active play, making them an exciting playmate.

• This lack of sensitivity can be beneficial, as it encourages the development of problem-solving skills, communication skills, and cognitive development.

• Schaffer & Emerson found that 75% of infants formed an attachment with their father by 18 months,

• reinforcing the idea that fathers generally take on the SCG role.

P2 - fathers as PCG👨‍🍼

• Fathers fulfil the role of primary caregiver(PCG), demonstrating nurturing and emotion-focused behaviours.

• Field (1978) studied face-to-face interactions between 4-month-old babies and different caregivers, including PCG mothers, SCG fathers, and PCG fathers.

• The results showed that PCG fathers, like mothers, engaged more in smiling, imitating, and holding infants than SCG fathers.

• This suggests that responsiveness, rather than gender, is the key factor in forming attachments,

• highlighting that fathers are fully capable of adopting the PCG role when required.

Inconsistent findings, as different researchers are interested in different research questions

• e.g., Research is co some are interested in understanding the role of the father as a SCG, whereas others are more concerned with the father as a PCG.

• Problem bc psychologists can't really answer the question, ‘What is the role of the father?'

P4 - why fathers aren’t PCGs

• A further limitation is that we have to question why fathers don't generally become PCGs.

• It could simply be the result of traditional gender roles, in which women are expected to be more caring and nurturing than men.

• However, it could be that female hormones (e.g., oestrogen) create higher levels of nurturing, and therefore women are biologically predisposed to be the PCG.

• But as many more fathers than before are becoming PCGs, this appears to suggest that social stereotypes are more of an influencing factor than biology.

Disagreeing with Grossman et al

• A weakness of research supporting the father as a SCG is that if fathers have a distinct role, why aren't children without fathers different to those with fathers?

• Although the study by Grossman et al. found that fathers as SCGs had an important role in their children's development,

• other studies have found that children growing up in single or same-sex parent families do not develop any differently from those in two-parent heterosexual families.

• Therefore, the father's role is not as important as Grossman et al. believed.

✔dad staying home

• However, a strength of research in this area is that more fathers may be encouraged to remain at home caring for their children while mothers return to work and contribute more to the economy.

• This means that parental anxiety about the role of fathers can be reduced as fathers don't have to feel pressured to focus on work rather than parenting, particularly if this is not economically the best solution.