An Analysis of the Effects of Father Attachment on Sex, Love, Adult Attachment, and Hostility

Mother-child relationships have been the primary focus of the majority of studies when looking at social-emotional development, whereas the father-child relationship has been neglected when it comes to research. The current study examines the role fathers play in the development of their child, specifically on the development of attitudes towards sex, love, and hostility. This study involved the participation of both males (N = 16) and females (N = 29), ranging in age from 18 to 24 years of age who have been in a six month or longer heterosexual relationship. Participants answered questions on relationship status, father involvement, father attachment relationship, and mother attachment relationship. They then proceeded to complete surveys on sex attitudes, love attitudes, hostility to the opposite sex, and adult attachment. Results suggest that father attachment and father involvement influences sex, love, hostility, and adult attachment