3.6: Childhood relationships

Question 1

Psychologists have been interested in seeing whether attachments made in infancy have an effect on relationships individuals have in childhood and as adults.
The continuity hypothesis sees children’s attachment types being what?

Answer 1

The continuity hypothesis sees children’s attachment types being reflected in their later relationships

Question 2

Psychologists have been interested in seeing whether attachments made in infancy have an effect on relationships individuals have in childhood and as adults.
The continuity hypothesis sees children’s attachment types being reflected in their later relationships.
This idea is based upon the internal working model, where an infant’s primary attachment forms a model (template) for future relationships.
The quality of the child’s first attachment is crucial, because this template will powerfully affect the nature of their future relationships.
A child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend to assume that this is how relationships are meant to be.
They will then seek out functional relationships and behave functionally within them.
For example, without either being too uninvolved or being too emotionally close (which would typify type A behaviour) or being controlling and argumentative (type C behaviour).
A child with bad experiences of their first attachment will bring these bad experiences to bear in later relationships.
What may this mean?

Answer 2

This may mean that:
1. They struggle to form relationships in the first place
Or,
2. They may not behave appropriately when they have them
,displaying type A or type C behaviour towards friends and partners

Question 3

Psychologists have been interested in seeing whether attachments made in infancy have an effect on relationships individuals have in childhood and as adults.
The continuity hypothesis sees children’s attachment types being reflected in their later relationships.
This idea is based upon the internal working model, where an infant’s primary attachment forms a model (template) for future relationships.
The quality of the child’s first attachment is crucial, because this template will powerfully affect the nature of their future relationships.
A child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend to assume that this is how relationships are meant to be.
They will then seek out functional relationships and behave functionally within them.
For example, without either being too uninvolved or being too emotionally close (which would typify type A behaviour) or being controlling and argumentative (type C behaviour).
A child with bad experiences of their first attachment will bring these bad experiences to bear in later relationships.
This may mean that they struggle to form relationships in the first place or they may not behave appropriately when they have them, displaying type A or type C behaviour towards friends and partners.
Define the continuity hypothesis

Answer 3

The continuity hypothesis is the idea that there is consistency between:

1. Early emotional experiences
2. Later relationships

Question 4

What is attachment type associated with in childhood?

Answer 4

Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood

Question 5

Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood.
What did Kerns (1994) find?

Answer 5

Kerns (1994) found that securely attached infants tend to go on to form the best quality childhood friendships, whereas insecurely attached infants later:

1. Struggle
2. Have friendship difficulties

Question 6

Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood.
In particular, bullying can be predicted by attachment.
What did Myron-Wilson and Smith (1998) do?

Answer 6

Myron-Wilson and Smith (1998):

1. Performed a questionnaire of 196 children aged 7 - 11 from London
2. Found that secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying, insecure-avoidant children were the most likely to be bullied and insecure-resistant children were most likely to be bullies

Question 7

The internal working model will be the basis of our assumptions about all relationships, so we will seek out and form relationships that mirror this.
We will also behave in a way that mirrors our internal working model.
Example

Answer 7

For example, insecure-resistant individuals may be:
1. Controlling
2. Argumentative
in relationships

Question 8

Evidence suggests that children who form attachments to each other early in life will not generally do what?

Answer 8

Evidence suggests that children who form attachments to each other early in life will not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with each other

Question 9

Childhood relationships

Answer 9

Childhood relationships are affiliations with other people in childhood, including:

1. Friends and classmates
2. Adults such as teachers