Attachement: Influence Of Early Attchement On Later Relationships

Question 1

What did Bowlby propose in 1969

Answer 1

A child having their first relationship with their primary attachment figure forms a mental representation of this relationship.

Question 2

What is the internal working model

Answer 2

The mental representation we all carry with us of our attachment to primary caregiver.
Important in affecting our future relationships because
Carry our perceptions of what relationships are like

Question 3

If a child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with reliable caregiver what can we expect

Answer 3

They will tend to assume that this is how relationships are supposed to be
Seek out functional relationships

Question 4

If a child’s has had bad experiences of their first attachment what can we expect

Answer 4

They will bring these bad experiences to bear on later relationships
Struggle to form relationships
May not behave appropriately

Question 5

Happy secure childhood =

Answer 5

Positive internal working model

Question 6

In terms of childhood what can attachment type be associated with

Answer 6

Associated with the quality of peer relationship

Question 7

What did kerns 1994 suggest

Answer 7

Securely attached infants - from best quality childhood friendships
Insecurely attached - friendship difficulties

Question 8

What did smith and Myron Wilson (1998) suggest about bullying

Answer 8

Assessed attachment type bullying involvement
In 196 children aged 7-11 from London
Secure - unlikely to be involved
Insecure avoidant - likely to be victims
Insecure resistant - likely to be bullies

Question 9

What did MCCarthy (1999) do ?

Answer 9

Studied 40 adult women
Assessed when they were infants
Establish early attachment
Compared to present relationships

Question 10

What did McCarthy find ?

Answer 10

Securely attached infants - functional adult and romantic relationships

Insecure resistant - problems maintaining relationships

Insecure avoidant - struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships

Question 11

What was the procedure used by Hazan and shaver 1987

Answer 11

Analysed 630 replies to a love quiz
3 sections
First assessed respondents current or most important relationship
Second part assessed general love experiences by asking respondents such as number of partners
Third assessed attachment type

Question 12

What were the findings of hazan and shaver 1987 study

Answer 12

56% - secure
25% - insecure
19% - insecure resistant
Secure - most likely to have good long lasting romantic experiences
Avoidant - reveal jealousy and fear of intimacy
Patterns of attachment behaviour reflected in romantic relation ships

Question 13

In terms of parenthood what can the internal working model affect

Answer 13

The childs ability to parent their own child

Question 14

Why does the internal working model affect childs ability to parent

Answer 14

People tend to base their parenting style on their internal working model
Passed on through generations

Question 15

What did bailey et al do ?

Answer 15

Considered attachment of 99 mothers to their babies and to their own mothers.
Mother - baby attachment assed using the SS
Mother - own mother attachment using adult attachment interview

Majority of women had the same attachment type both to their babies and own mothers

Question 16

Having a positive internal working will do what in terms of parenting

Answer 16

Acts as template for future relationships
children will then Form positive and secure attachments with other children similar to the attachments they formed with parents

Question 17

What is a limitation of early attachment and late relationship studies (validity)

Answer 17

Most studies have issues with validity

Do not Make use of the SS but asses i attachment by
Interviews or questions years later
To assess quality of relationship

Self report techniques like questionnaires and interviews
Validity limited
Depend on respondents being honest and having realistic view on own relationship

The notion of looking back in adulthood at early attachment
Present in many studies
Decreases validity of findings

Question 18

What is another limitation of studies

Evidence of continuity is mixed

Answer 18

The evidence of continuity of attachment is mixed

Eg McCarthy appear to support continuity and so provide evidence to support internal working models

On other hand Zimmerman 2000 assed infant attachment type
Adolescent attachment to parents
Very little similarity between quality of attachments in both instances

If internal working model important in development
Not what we would expect

Question 19

What is another limitation of Studies (association not causation )

Answer 19

Several studies indicate associations
Not the same as causation

Infant attachment type is associated with quality of later relationship.
Alternative explanations for continuity between infant and later relationships
3rd environmental factor - parenting style or temperament could have an effect

Goes against bowlbys theory that only internal working model has an effect on later relationships

Question 20

What is another limitations of internal working models

Answer 20

Theoretical problem with research related to internal working models

Internal working models unconscious
Would not to expect get evidence about them directly by
Interviews or questionnaires
Only relying on conscious understanding when
Participants self report on their relationships

Only getting indirect evidence about internal working model, will not be sure how it actually works