attachment - influence of early attachment

Question 1

what is the role of the internal working model for later relationships?

Answer 1

baby’s first relationship with PAF creates mental representation which acts as template for future relationships

the quality of this relationship is crucial

Question 2

how does secure attachment influence childhood relationships?

Answer 2

tend to form best quality childhood friendships

highly unlikely to be involved in bullying

Question 3

what did Wilson and Smith (1998) find?

Answer 3

insecure-avoidant - likely to be victims of bullying

insecure-resistant - likely to be bullies

Question 4

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Answer 4

love quiz

early attachment reflected in romantic relationships

56% respondents securely attached - most likely to have good romantic relationships

26% I-A, 19% I-R - most likely to be jealous and have fear of intimacy

Question 5

McCarthy (1999)

Answer 5

studied 40 women and found securely attached babies had best adult relationships

I-R had problems maintaining friendships

I-A struggled with intimacy

Question 6

Bailey et al (2007)

Answer 6

majority of women had the same attachment classification to their babies as their mothers

Question 7

strength - research support

Answer 7

reviews have concluded that early attachment consistently predicts later relationships

e.g disorganised attachment strongly associated with later mental disorder

counterpoint - longitudinal followed 43 individuals from age 1-16 and found no evidence of continuity

Question 8

limitation - validity issues

Answer 8

typically not longitudinal, just ask participants about relationship with parents to identify attachment type

reply on honesty and accurate perception of participants

difficult to know whether early or adult attachment are being studied

Question 9

limitation - determinist

Answer 9

suggests early attachment determine the state of future relation ships, ignoring free will and capacity to change