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Attachment - a close two-way or reciprocal emotional bond between two…
Attachment - a close two-way or reciprocal emotional bond between two individuals in which each individual sees the other as essential for their own emotional security.
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Reciprocity
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Baby does not have a passive role, but an active one.
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Role of the Father
Primary attachment usually with mothers but sometimes both - Schaffer & Emerson found majority of babies attached to mother first. Fathers first in only 3% of cases. Perhaps because of traditional gender roles (women expected to be more caring and nurturing than men). Formed secondary attachments with other family members (including fathers) within a few weeks/months. 75% had attached to father within 18 months.
Attachment with mother most related to teen attachments - Grossman longitudinal study into parent behaviour and relationship to quality of children's attachments into teens. Found quality of attachment with father was less important in attachment type of teens. Perhaps fathers less important in long-term emotional development.
Father's play is more important - Quality of father's play with infants was related to attachment, suggesting fathers have a different role than mothers - more to do with play and stimulation than nurturing.
Father's can be primary caregivers - they can adopt behaviour more typical of mothers if necessary. Primary caregiver fathers spent more time smiling, imitating and holding infants than secondary caregiver fathers.
Researchers are interested in different research questions - some interested in fathers as secondary caregivers (suggesting they have a distinct role) and some interested in fathers as primary caregivers (arguing that fathers can take on a maternal role). Therefore psychologists cannot answer the question 'What is the role of the father?'
Evidence undermines idea of father's distinct role - despite findings of father's important role of play and stimulation, some findings show that children growing up in single or same-sex parent families don't develop any differently from those in two-parent heterosexual families. Suggests father's role as secondary attachment figure is not that important.