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INFANT-FATHER ATTACHMENT.   Term Paper ID:26976 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines impact of attachment on child's development. Changing father's roles, compared to mother-child attachment, research problems, marital stress, work outside home, more.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines impact of attachment on child's development. Changing father's roles, compared to mother-child attachment, research problems, marital stress, work outside home, more. Paper Introduction: The subject of this paper is infant-father attachment and the impact on the development on the infant. Most research has illustrated the importance of infant-mother relationship, without an equal consideration of the role of the father in infant-father relationships. However, with the changing family structure and social beliefs, more fathers are spending time with their infants. In addition, expectant fathers want to be a part of the birthing experience. In a 1981 survey, 95 percent of men looked forward to being in the delivery room (Rosenblith, 1992, p. 484). The surge of interest by fathers gave rise to many studies that sought to establish the impact of early father-infant bonding on their relationship later on. Therefore, discovering the impact of a father’s interaction with the infant can be significant in promoting the overall well Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Fathers were videotaped for 5 minutes during theirinteraction with their infants at home, first when the infants were 4months old and then at 12 months old. 484). A study conducted on Australian fathersrevealed that only 34 percent of the fathers believed that they could takecare of their children (in Rosenblith, 1992, p. 82). The number of hours the wives worked rangedfrom 4 to 5 hours. In an increasingly complicated world with a myriad ofchoices, these suggestions tap into the complex situations that arise toalter the conventional interaction between father and child. 8 ). 9 1). 81). Thesurge of interest by fathers gave rise to many studies that sought toestablish the impact of early father-infant bonding on their relationshiplater on. Their findings corroboratedother studies that fathers whose wives are nonemployed enjoy taking care oftheir infants because they do it by choice, not by necessity. The participants in this study werehighly educated couples who had undergone child education and Lamazeclasses in their preparation for their infants. Using the observations from the videotapes and the parental reports,the researchers assessed the fathers based on the following qualities:parental behavior; parenting stress; involvement in child care; maritalquality; infant temperament; and mothers' employment status (Grych & Clark,1999, p. The researchers' findings were very revealing about family dynamicsand their effect on father-infant interaction. Newbury Park: Sage Publications. Thus, the effects on the father-infantinteraction may be significantly different than a household that does notuse child care providers. The lack of diversity and the limited number of theparticipants in the sample size may have affected the results. Therefore, it is possible thatthe differences in behavior between fathers and infants could be attributedto the "incubator" element, rather than the lack of physical contactbetween the father and infant (Rodholm, 1981, p. A psychologist who did not know about the father-infant pairingperformed the analysis of the videotapes. 13). 895-6). In addition, thechildren also exhibited greater responsiveness and desire to explore (inGrych & Clark, 1999, p. Therefore, Grych and Clark (1999) offered a suggestionthat for families with newborns, mothers should transition graduallytowards working more hours in order to preserve the emotional health of thefamily (p. 893). Most of the research hadfocused on fathers being there in the delivery room or else immediatelyafter delivery. So the similaritiesbetween the participants, such as socio-economic status, in the study alsoresulted in the similarity of their behavior (Pannabecker et al., 1982, p.14-15). However, for the other fathers,there was a negative association between the two variables. 83). It ispossible that with greater practice, some of the fathers might have beenmore comfortable and experienced with the babies were they filmed when theinfants were older. Most research has illustrated theimportance of infant-mother relationship, without an equal consideration ofthe role of the father in infant-father relationships. The two groups also shared the same socialstatus, therefore they cannot be generalized to apply to the society. 899). Thus, Rodholm's (1981) study is anextension of that exploration: is early bonding with the infantssignificant in the case of fathers? Grych andRoseanne Clark, captures the actual home environment in which father-infantrelationships are formed, specifically in the absence of the mother. Therefore, they all knewhow to interact appropriately with their children. 12). The effect of the father-infant relationshipon the infant's development is also measured by assessing the child'stemperament. Early Human Development, 5, 79-85.Rosenblith, J. What would also be interesting is to explore the development of afather-infant relationship, when the father enters into the infant's life 3months or longer after the birth of the baby. When the fathers enjoyed their marriage, their interactionwith their infants was also positive. Three months later,the father was videotaped interacting with his infant for 6 minutes in thehome. Thus, more and more fathers are taking on the responsibility ofcaring directly for their infants. Also, having anoutsider involved in taking care of the infant also complicates the effecton the child's social development. Therefore, even though they shared somestereotypical beliefs, they also possessed ideas that veer radically awayfrom stereotype. In addition to studies focusing solely on typical infants, it wouldbe important to investigate the infant-father interaction in the case whenthe infants are born with developmental defects. In the contact group consistingof 29 infants, the father received the infant 15 minutes after delivery andwas left alone to play with the infant uninterruptedly for 1 minutes.Then the nurse returned to take care of the infant, though the father wasallowed to remain in the room (Rodholm, 1981, p. 84).Therefore, it is vital not only to allow the mother, but also the fatherimmediate access to the infant after the birth. (1982). 899). In addition, this study best reflects the phenomenonof the eighties and the nineties with increasing numbers of women going towork and sharing the responsibility of caring for the infants with theirhusbands. In a 1981 survey, 95 percent of men lookedforward to being in the delivery room (Rosenblith, 1992, p. Her results showed that fathers who bonded early with their infantsinteracted better and more intimately with their infants. During theirtime alone with their infants, the fathers interacted more intimately withtheir babies than when the mothers were present. Perhaps, if a longer time period or more measurements weretaken at greater frequency, a more realistic picture would emerge about thefather-infant interaction (Grych & Clark, 1999, p. Contributing further to the research on the father's early bondingwith the infants are the studies that explore in greater detail the qualityof the interaction. N., & Austin, B. Therefore, the relationship formed between father andinfant might have been of greater significance than the educationalsessions held after the delivery. In addition, the fathers took partin a telephone interview and filled out a questionnaire. Furthermore, the study should be conducted on a longitudinal basisuntil the infant has reached preschool years. 9). Therefore, discovering the impact of a father's interaction withthe infant can be significant in promoting the overall well being ofchildren. However, they did not find any conclusive results. The infant'sbehavior, such as crying, fussing, and sneezing, was also noted(Pannabecker et al., 1982, p. Austin (1982), sought to establish the effect on father-newborninteraction by varying the quality of the interaction during the postpartumperiod. Even though the routines at the hospital were to bethe same for both groups, with the only variable being the physical contactbetween father and infant, the placement of the infant in an incubatordefinitely altered the hospital routine. 8). After that, the Principal Investigatorleft with the mother to interview her. Fathers whose wivesworked more than 25 hours displayed lower levels of positive behavior withtheir infants with greater involvement. The renewed scientific interest in the early seventies explored thestereotypical perception of fathers who were regarded as harshdisciplinarians and could not interact intimately with their infants(Rosenblith, 1992, p. Maternal employment and development of the father-infant relationship in the first year. The other 2 studies were similar in determining the effects of thetiming of the initial father-infant interaction on future interaction.Although the two studies produced results that contradicted each other,they highlighted the importance of hospital procedures and routines inincorporating fathers as a crucial participant in the birthing and post-delivery experience. The effect of early extended contact on father-newborn interaction. 9 1). Margaretha Rodholm's article, "Effects of father-infant postpartumcontact on their interaction 3 months after birth," is the second articleunder review. Other researchers were interested in extending the findings on mother-infant bonding. The sample size is also extremely small and therefore does notreflect the general population. (1985) found that fathers in dual-earner families did not interactas much with their 3-month-old infants as fathers in single-earner families(in Grych & Clark, 1999, p. The father was then left with theinfant for about 4 minutes and videotaped in his interaction with theinfant (Pannabecker et al., 1982, p. Emde and BillieC. It should beconducted on a wider scale, involving a greater number of people fromdifferent ethnic groups and family structures. In those studies, it was found that mothers who hadsubstantial body contact with their infants immediately after theirdeliveries interacted better with their infants in the early months.According to Parke et al. However, no significant difference was found between theinfants of the different families (Grych & Clark, 1999, p. One month later, parents returned with their infants for a regularcheck-up. In the study, although most of the fathers'conceptions of their roles cohered with the stereotype, they also believedthat fathers should be emotionally responsive and play with their infants(Rosenblith, 1992, p. For fathers with nonemployed wives, there was a positiverelationship between marital satisfaction and positive interaction withtheir infants. The mothers werealso interviewed and gave information about the role of the father inproviding child care and the child's temperament (Grych & Clark, 1999, p.895). C. In short,these fathers enjoyed their marriage less when they displayed positivebehavior toward their infants (p. There were several factors that could have affected the results ofthis study. They found thatfathers who spent more time with their infants during the first year weremore versatile in their interactions with their children. ReferencesGrych, J. In this study, there were also critical problems that could haveaffected the results. Her findings aresimilar to the research on maternal bonding (Rodholm, 1981, p. 488). In the future, the first study on the impact of maternal employmenton father-child interaction should be further expanded. Developmental Psychology, 35(4), 893-9 3.Pannabecker, B. The father's behavior was rated based on the followingcharacteristics: the father's proximity to the infant; infant positions;father's behavior, such as rubbing, kissing and playing. Researchhas proven that maternal bonding with the infant leads to greaterinteraction and body contact later on. AsGrych and Clark (1999) demonstrated in their study, the quality of theinteraction of the father with the infant was affected by the number ofhours the mother worked and was thus away from the household. 484). They foundthat the father interacted better with the infant in a household, in whichthe mother either did not work or worked part-time only (p. In addition, the timing of the father-infant interaction may haveaffected the results. 899). Several factors couldhave contributed to these results. In the beginning: Development from conception to age two. These situations occur frequently, especially when fathersare away on duty or on business trips. For example, Zaslowet al. In this way, therealistic dynamics of the father-infant interaction can be captured andexplored. 468). Some camera-shy parents and infants maytake longer to adapt to the presence of a video camera in the room. 484). 893). 8 ). In the case of fathers whose wives worked less than25 hours, no relationship was established between the quality ofinteraction and degree of child care participation. It is pertinent to the topic because it assesses theimportance of having fathers interact early with their infants. Whereas the overriding emphasis in the re-designingof the birthing experience in hospitals has been on the mother, it may beimportant to include the father in a more active and intimate interactionwith the infants right from the beginning. The criteria for assessing thefather's interaction with the infant included: position of the infant vis-à-vis the father; tactile contact on the face, trunk, extremities of infant;eye contact and verbal contact. (1999). Five minutes cannot provide enough time for atrue observation of an interaction between father and infant, especiallywhen it took place within a foreign environment. The subject of this paper is infant-father attachment and the impacton the development on the infant. All the fathers in the study were present at thedelivery room and held their infants before they were separated intodifferent groups. At 12 months, the categoriescontaining fathers with non-working wives and wives who worked less than 25hours demonstrated greater positive behavior with greater participation inchild care. 899).Furthermore, the quality of the marriage also had an interesting effect onthe father-child interaction. Although fathers became stressed depending on the temperament oftheir infants, the infants' temperaments were not shown to be related tothe fathers' behavior (Grych & Clark, 1999, p. The filming of the father andinfant should occur every three months in the home environment withinterviews conducted before or after the observation. The children's behaviordid not vary significantly from one group to the other (Pannabecker et al.,1982, p. 487). The increasing use of child care centers and individual babysittersalso affect the family dynamics. This study can be very importantbecause increasing numbers of infants are being left at a very young age tooutside child care providers. However, anotherstudy revealed the complexity of some fathers' feelings toward thesestereotypical notions. 898). 9 ). All fathers were attentive and helpful withthe examination of the infants (Pannabecker, 1982, p. During this examination, both parents were videotapedinteracting with their infants. 83-84). This indirect finding bears a strong relationship with thestudies by Easterbrooks (1982) who found that differences in fathers'attitudes and perceptions were more relevant to infant attachment than timespent with the infants. Effects of father-infant postpartum contact on their interaction 3 months after birth. In the cases where the wives worked morethan 25 hours per week, the marriage quality decreased when the quality ofthe child care by the father increased (Grych & Clark, 1999, p. 11). In addition, assessing the familyonly after the child is 4 weeks old may also be too early because somefamilies may require more time to adapt to their children or accumulategreater frustration and stress of having a newborn in the household. However, with thechanging family structure and social beliefs, more fathers are spendingtime with their infants. In other studies, fathers in financially-strapped familiesexperienced even more stress when faced with the task of taking care of aninfant. In the measurement of marital quality, Grych and Clark (1999)established an interesting relationship with the quality of interactionwith the infants. Still, theydiscovered that a father, who is educated and prepared to be a parent,knows how to interact with his infant. Forthe rest of the criteria, there were no statistically significantdifferences observed between the fathers in the two groups (Rodholm, 1981,p. On a long-term basis, the social development of the children,along with their capacity to interact with their fathers, will become moreevident. For example, a study showed thatinfants who were 12 months or older cried when either the mother or thefather left the room, displaying no preference for either parent(Rosenblith, 1992, p. Therefore, they providedinteresting variables that may have a greater effect on infant-fatherattachment: the socio-economic status and the perspective towardsparenthood. Of all the three studies described above, the first study contributesthe most to the exploration of the issue. Thesepotential future studies challenge the use of scientific experiments touncover unknown patterns that may reveal more about one of the mostfundamental relationships in life. In addition, the contact father touched hisinfant for a longer period of time, particularly on the head and face. However, none of the studies placed their emphasis on the impact ofthe father-infant interaction on the infants' social development. Grych & Clark (1999) found that at 4 months, fathers with unemployedwives interacted with greater interest and expressiveness with increasedinvolvement (p. Apart from the brief filming, more comprehensiveinformation was provided via interviews in order to fill in the gaps aboutthe home environment. While mothers are commonly the ones whofeel threatened by the usurpation of their role by child care provides, theperception and beliefs of the fathers remain unexplored. All the above studies investigated different factors, whichpotentially affect the father-infant attachment. These findings can have vital implications forthe Western society with 2 working parents who rely upon child careproviders to take care of their infant. The researchers did not find a significant difference between thefathers from different groups. The Office Control Group fathers were given noeducational information or any additional contact with their infants(Pannabecker et al., 1982, p. In addition, expectant fathers want to be a partof the birthing experience. The last article, "The effect of early extended contact on father-newborn interaction," by Betty Jean Pannabecker, Robert N. Another variation of the family composition includes extendedfamilies. In the melting-pot societyof the world, an analysis should encompass the different culturalperspectives and their effects on family dynamics. Furthermore, the short time period used to assess the behavior of thefathers with their infants is too limited to illustrate accurately theirrelationship. H., & Clark, R. F. 15). Yogman and his fellow researchers even foundthat babies as young as 2 months old responded more positively to theirfathers than strangers (in Rosenblith, 1982, p. 899). Having a grandmother taking care of the infant can alter thefamily dynamics (Grych & Clark, 1999, p. J., Emde, R. Research has also shown that babies can form attachments to bothmothers and fathers at the same time. Unlike previous studies on maternal bonding, Pannabecker and hercollaborators failed to find any conclusive results. The assessment of the 1-month pediatric visit took place within avery short period of time. Furthermore, in the interview segment of the study, there were nosignificant differences between the contact father and the non-contactfather in the perspective and behavior during the pregnancy and thepostpartum period (Rodholm, 1981, p. Both the father and childcould not behave in a typical fashion. In the study, 48 families were split equally into 3 groups:Experimental Group, Hospital Control Group, and Office Control Group. In theirbrief exploration of the infants, no significant relationship could befound between the differences in the fathers' behavior and the infants. (1972 & 1976), no significant difference could beseen in the interaction of fathers and mothers in their interaction withtheir infants at 6 and 48 hours after the delivery (in Rodholm, 1981, p.8 ). In another study, researchers were interested to assess the impact ofmaternal employment on the father-infant development. In this study, the researchersreproduced the most authentic environment possible for capturing the father-infant relationship. On the otherhand, fathers who bear more responsibilities for taking care of thechildren because their wives work, may suffer from greater stress andstrain from juggling work and home responsibilities (Grych & Clark, 1999,p. Thus far, the research has been limited to theinteraction between mother and newborn (de Chauteau and Wiberg inPannabecker, Emde, & Austin, 1982, p. The father was permitted to stand beside the incubator,but was not allowed to touch the infant. Therefore, the results could have been substantiallydifferent. 1 ). 484). (1987) produced a contradictory result. So, it would be interesting to assess theperceptions and reactions of fathers and mothers, along with filming thefather's interaction with the infant at different times up to preschoolyears. (1992). In thissample, most of the participants were from White, middle-class families.Therefore, they are not representative of families in the generalpopulation. Thisstudy falls within the realm of other research that highlights theimportance of examining the father-infant relationship within the complexdynamics of a household, which also include the marital relationship(Rosenblith, 1992, p. Both the mothers and fathers who worked tendedto devote their energies towards taking care of their infants, rather thanto the marriage. However, Greenberg and Morris (1974) found that those fathers whowere present at birth interacted with their babies with greater ease thanthe fathers who were absent (in Rodholm, 1981, p. Finally, the father was given a short space of time to play with theinfant 3 months after the birth. Furthermore, in our modern society, in which some women work full-time while their husbands work part-time, this study may not reflect theirreality. The following section is a discussion of three original scientificstudies: The first article, "Maternal employment and the development of thefather-infant relationship in the first year," by John H. Inthe non-contact group, 16 infants were placed in an incubator for 1 dayafter delivery. After observing the videos closely, the psychologist found that thenon-contact father held the infant's face directed away from him longerthan did the contact father. (1981). The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 141, 7-17.Rodholm, M. The quality of marriage was also a crucial component in affecting thefather-infant relationship. (in Rosenblith, 1992, p. Marriages have broken upover infants' medical problems. 486). Thefirst two groups (only fathers) were given two 3 -minutes sessions, inwhich they received additional information about infants. It is also likely that the additionaltime spent between father and infant might not have been sufficient to havemade any difference between the groups (Pannabecker et al., 1982, p. However, theExperimental Group fathers were allowed to interact with their infantsduring the sessions, while the Hospital Control Group was shown a videotapeof a typical infant. However, another study conducted byPederson et al. Sixty-three couples, of which 47 wives worked and 16 did not,participated in this study. The above suggestions for other potential studies can provide agreater perspective about the father-child interaction than what isavailable currently. 9 1). However, for fathers whose wives worked more than 25 hours,there was no association between the two variables (Grych & Clark, 1999, p.899). Before that, he was interviewed about hisparticipation in the pre-birth preparations, his previous experience withinfants, and the frequency of his visits to his wife and infant duringtheir stay at the hospital (Rodholm, 1981, p. In this study, all infants were delivered by Caesarean section. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.