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Infant-Father Attachment

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 being of children.

The renewed scientific interest in the early seventies explored the stereotypical perception of fathers who were regarded as harsh disciplinarians and could not interact intimately with their infants (Rosenblith, 1992, p. 484). A study conducted on Australian fathers revealed that only 34 percent of the fathers believed that they could take care of their children (in Rosenblith, 1992, p. 484). However, another study revealed the complexity of some fathers' feelings toward these stereotypical notions. In the study, although most of the fathers' conceptions of their roles cohered with the stereotype, they also believed that fathers should be emotionally responsive and play with their infants (Rosenblith, 1992, p. 484). Therefore, even though they shared some stereotypical beliefs, they also possessed ideas that veer radically away from stereotype.

In another study, researchers were interested to assess the impact of maternal employment on the father-infant development. For example, Zaslow et al. (1985) found that fathers in dual-earner families did not interact as m...

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Infant-Father Attachment. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 00:47, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1687704.html