Attachment

Role of the Father

• Schaffer and Emerson found 3% of primary attachments with father in 1964. most formed secondary attachments to him after a few weeks or months (75%)
• Grossman 2002 found attachment with mum related to teens in a longitudinal study, suggesting fathers may be less important
• fathers play is more important in children's attachments suggesting they have a different role in attachment
• fathers can be primary caregivers, Field finding they adopt behaviour similar to a mothers'
• the level of response given is most important in building an attachment
• Limitations
• researchers ask different questions
• research fails to provide a clear answer
• social biases prevent objective observation
• Strengths
• economic implications