3.1.4 Multiple Attachments & The Role of The Father

Multiple attachments

• Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found that by the time the infants were 18 months they had already formed multiple attachments
• Multiple attachments are whereby an infant forms several, different attachments with a range of people, usually a family member
• The opposite idea to this is Monotropy, which was the theory of Bowlby
• This states that an infant forms one main attachment with their Primary Care Giver (PCG) and this is then replicated throughout their life in their relationships with others
• This is part of Bowlby's theory of attachment, although most psychologists tend to support Multiple Attachments more

The Role of the father

• From Schaffer and Emerson, the most common second attachment formed was with the father
• This was the case in 27% of the initial sample and at 18 months 75% had formed an attachment with their father
• The role of fathers has significantly developed since then and many men are more hands-on with their children than in the 1960s

Research into the role of the father

Geiger (1996)

• Found that fathers had a different role from the mother 
• The mum is associated with care and nurturing the child
• The dad is more about fun and playing with the child
• From this, we get the idea of the father's role being 'the fun dad'

Grossman (2002)

• Conducted a longitudinal study looking at how the quality of relationships between parents and children changed from infancy to the teenage years
• It was found that the early attachment to the mother was a better predictor of what the teenage relationship was like
• It seems the father is less important to later development than the mother in terms of nurture
• However, Grossman found that if the father had engaged in active play with the child when they were young, the adolescent relationship with BOTH parents is strengthened
• This supports Geiger's work

Field (1978)

• However, Field found that if the father was the main PCG from before attachment began (before 6 months) then they took on more of a maternal role
• They were seen to be more nurturing and caring than the traditional father role
• This demonstrates that there is flexibility in the role of the father and how men can respond to the different needs of their children

Evaluating the role of the father

• Different research seems to state different facts about fatherhood as they are all looking for different things- there is a lack of consistency in the research
• If we believe that fathers are vital to infant development, what happens if a child has no father, as has become more and more common in society?
• Why don't more men become the PCG if they are capable of this as Field suggested?
  • Is this a nature or nurture issue as men lack estrogen or maybe they are less socialised to take the caring role?
• Goodsell and Meldrum (2009) found that the having a secure attachment with both parents is linked
  • Children tend to need both and so it is not really a case of one being better or more suited: Both are needed
• Practical applications: If the father can take the role of the mother as well, then this has implications for society:
  • Paternity/maternity leave
  • Custody of children: Men gaining more equality in this
  • Role modeling parental skills in young men
  • More societal acceptance of the single father