Attachment - The Influence Of Early Attachment (IWM) Flashcards
What type of process does Bowlby suggest that the internal working model is?
An innate biological process
What does bowlby suggest that infants do with their early attachment with their primary caregiver?
-Bowlby suggests that the child forms a mental representation (schema) of their early attachment with their primary caregiver
What does bowlby suggest an infant’s relationship with their primary caregiver does?
-it acts as a model for what relationships are like
-future relationships will mirror it
How can a person develop a positive internal working model?
-if they are raised by a loving primary caregiver who responds to their needs
-likely to have a secure attachment
-view relationships as positive and have more successful later relationships
How can a person develop a negative internal working model?
-if they have an unresponsive caregiver who doesn’t respond to their needs
-insecure attachment
-more problems in forming future relationships are may not behave appropriately when they are in a relationship
-e.g. may be to controlling or argue more
What can a schema of early attachment do later in life?
-influences the nature of all their later childhood and adult relationships but also their relationships with their children
-attachment types are passed on through generations
How can having a secure early attachment impact childhood relationships?
-attachment type is linked to the quality of peer relationships in later childhood
-if a child has a secure attachment to their primary caregiver, they are more likely to have better quality relationships with their peers
How can having an insecure early attachment impact childhood relationships?
-if infants have an insecure attachment to their primary caregiver, they are more likely to have difficulty in making friends
What did Smith Et Al (1998) find about insecure attachment types impacting childhood relationships?
-insecure avoidant children are most likely to be victims of bullying
-insecure resistant children are most likely to be the bully
Who conducted research to support the influence of the IWM on adult romantic relationships?
Hazan & Shaver
Describe Hazan & Shaver’s research into the influence of IWM on adult romantic relationships
-created the love quiz (a questionnaire)
-to study a persons adult adult attachment and their attachment in early childhood
What were the findings of Hazan & Shaver’s research into the influence of IWM on adult romantic relationships
-56% of ppts were securely attached as children and were most likely to have positive and longer lasting romantic relationships with partners they felt they could trust
-25% were seen as insecure avoidant as children and they reported more feelings of jealousy and feared intimacy (closeness)
-19% were insecure resistant as children ans they feared being abandoned and can put too much pressure on their partner
What did Hazan & Shaver conclude?
-they concluded that the patterns of attachment behaviours are reflected in adult romantic relationships
How can the IWM influence a persons relationship with their own children?
-people base their parenting style on their IWM so attachment tends to be passed on through family generations
What did Bailey Et Al (2007) conclude about the influence of IWM on an individuals relationship with their own children?
-mothers tended to have the same attachment style with their child as they did with their own mother
Evaluate the influence of early attachment in childhood and adult relationships
-RTS-Harlow, monkeys had no early attachment and had negative relationships with offspring
-criticised for being deterministic
-criticised for being socially sensitive
Explain how Harlow’s research supports the influence of early attachment in childhood and adult relationships
-he separated monkeys from their mothers at birth and brought them up in cages (so had no early attachment)
-moneys had difficulty forming relationships when older (difficulty mating, females were inadequate mothers)
-supports as it shows having negative early attachments can lead to negative relationships later with partners and own children
-increases the validity
Explain how the influence of early attachment in childhood and adult relationships can be criticised for being deterministic
-deterministic (argues that all behaviour is controlled by external factors and humans have no free will over their behaviour)
-theory states behaviour is controlled and detained by early attachments so will lead to a person having negative attachments with their own child
-this neglects the role of free will and choice an individual has
-e.g a person who experienced an insecure and negative attachment in childhood may choose to have a different, positive and secure relationship with their children
-limits the research
Explain how the influence of early attachment in childhood and adult relationships can be criticised for being socially sensitive
-socially sensitive
-suggests later childhood and adult relationships success and quality are solely due to a persons early attachment
-it blames parents for relationship failures which could have a damaging effect on these relationships
-raises ethical issues
