Filmed babies in face to face interaction with
primary caregiver mother, primary caregiver father and
secondary caregiver fathers.
Found that fathers have potential to be the more emotion focused parent
but perhaps only when they are the primary caregiver.
Grossman et al
Found that quality of father's
attachment was less important than mothers, but
suggested also that father has different role from
mother, one related more with stimulation and play.
Found that attachment to fathers as primary
attachments in only 3% of cases. 27% of cases
where father is joint first object of attachment
with the mother.
Evaluation
Strengths:
Real world application. Can be used to offer advice to parents,
reducing parental anxiety.
Hardy (1999) found evidence which suggested fathers
were less able to detect low levels of emotional
distress, therefore fathers are less suited as primary
attachment figures.
Weaknesses:
Conflicting evidence. Longitudinal studies suggested
that fathers as secondary attachments have a distinct
role, however doesnt account for single parent families,
or same sex parents,
Confusion due to lack of clarity.
Difficult to offer a simple answer as to
what the role of the father is.
Possible explanations suggest that the father is less psychologically equipped to form close bonds,
unlike the mother. This may be due to them lacking the emotional sensitivity required which Bowlby
argued was more important than the amount of time spent with a child.
Females produce oestrogen which promotes caring
behaviour while males do not.