Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that babies became attached to mother first.
Formed secondary attachments within a few weeks or months.
75% of infants had an attachment with father by 18 months.
Infants protested when father walked away (a sign of attachment).
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The role of the father
Grossman (2002) carried out a longitudinal study looking at both parents' behaviour and its relationship with quality attachment into teens.
Quality of infant attachment with mother and not father related with to children's attachment in adolescence. (suggested that father's attachment was less important)
Quality of father's play with infants was related to quality of adolescent attachments.
Suggests fathers have a different role in attachments (play and stimulation rather than nurturing).
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Fathers as primary carers
Some evidence to suggest that fathers adopt maternal behaviours when they take on the role of main caregiver.
Field (1978) filmed 4 month old babies in face to face interaction with primary caregiver mothers, secondary caregiver fathers and primary caregiver fathers.
Primary caregiver fathers showed more reciprocity than secondary caregiver fathers.
Behaviour appears to be important in building attachment.
Seems that fathers can be more nurturing attachment figure.
Key to attachment is level of responsiveness and not gender.
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Inconsistent findings on fathers
Different researchers interested in different research questions.
Some psychologists interested in role as primary attachment figures while others interested in role as secondary attachment figures.
Some see fathers as behaving differently from mothers and having a distinct role while others find that fathers can take on a maternal role.
C- These findings can be applicable for either position of attachment. E.g. distinct role as secondary attachment and maternal role as primary.
Psychologists cannot easily answer the simple question 'what is the role of the father?'
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If fathers have a distinct role, why aren't childr
Grossman found that fathers as secondary attachment figures had an important role in children's development.
Other studies have found children growing up in single or same sex parent families do not develop any differently from those in two parent heterosexual families.
C- These studies may not assess these children as adults when they raise their own children.
Suggests that father's role as a secondary attachment figure is not important.
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Why don't fathers generally become primary attachm
Traditional gender roles
Hormones
Limitation because research does not incorporate these factors.
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