Attachment - Influence of early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

What is the internal working model?

Answer 1

A childs primary attachments relationship acts as a template for future relationships so the better the relationship the better the quality of attachment

Question 2

How is attachment type related to relationships in later childhood?

Answer 2

Securely attached (Type B) : Better quality childhood friendship
Insecure avoidant (Type A) : More prone to bullying
Insecure resistant (Type C) : More likely to be bullies

Question 3

How does your attachment type effect your relationship in adulthood with romantic partners?

Answer 3

Securely attached (Type B) : Best quality adult friendships & romantic relationships
Insecure avoidant (Type A) : Had problems maintaining friendships
Insecure resistant (Type C) : Struggled with intimacy problems

Question 4

What was the procedure from Hazan & Shaver (1987) study of the association between attachment & adult relationships?

Answer 4

Analysed 620 replies to a love quiz
The quiz had 3 sections:
- First section : Assessed the current/ most important relationship
- Second section : Assessed Love experiences
- Third section : Assessed which statements best matched their feelings

Question 5

What was the findings from Hazan & Shaver (1987) study of the association between attachment & adult relationships?

Answer 5

Findings:
- 57% identified as securely attached (Type B)
- 25% identified as insecure avoidant (Type A)
- 19% identified as insecure resistant (Type C)

Question 6

How did a persons internal working model effect their relationship in adulthood as a parent? And test to prove it

Answer 6

Peoples parenting style tends to be based on their IWM
A mother study ( with 99 mothers) found a majority of women had the same attachment classification to both their mothers & their babies.

Question 7

Weakness 1 - Mixed evidence

Answer 7

P: One limitation is that there is mixed evidence on the continuity of attachment types
E: Cimmerman found little relation tbetween quality of attachment & better attachement
E: This shows the IWM doesnt influence future relationships
L: Therefore, this a weakness as it is not what we expect if the IWM was important in development

Question 8

Weakness 2 - Low validity

Answer 8

P: Another weakness … is it has low validity
E: It is based on retrospective self report which lacks validity
E: As the technique is limited & is based on whether participants are honest & have a realistic view on their relationships
L: Therefore lacks validity due to relying on accurate self recollections

Question 9

Strength 1 - IWM has practical real-life application

Answer 9

P: A strength of … is that the IWM has practical real-life application
E: Bailey et al mother study ( with 99 mothers) found a majority of women had the same attachment classification to both their mothers & their babies.
E: This shows that attachment patterns can be passed down through generations, supporting the concept that a person’s internal working model is shaped by early experiences and can influence their relationships later in life, particularly in parenting.
L: Therefore, this adds credibility to the IWM theory, demonstrating its relevance in understanding intergenerational attachment behavior.