Chapter 4 - Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships Flashcards
Define what is meant by internal working models?
Internal working models are mental representation of the world and relationships which influence how we feel and behave. Sometimes these internal working models are called schema (a cognitive framework which mentally organises information about a concept)
Who argued that early attachments created internal working models?
Bowlby argued that early attachments created internal working models about relationships which continue to affect later relationships (continuity hypothesis)
How does the concept of internal working models work in the case of attachment?
The information that a child learns about relationships with other will become organised into mental representations which may influence how the child’ behaves in other relationships
Bowlby stated that children who have “secure” attachments as a child will have what type of attachments in adulthood?
Secure - they will be more trusting, confident and open in relationships
Bowlby stated that children who have “insecure” attachments as a child will have what type of attachments in adulthood?
Insecure - they will likely have insecure, unstable, suspicious of all and may be used to being treated poorly in relationships
What evidence is there for the influence of early attachments on childhood relationships?
Myron-Wilson and Smith (1998) used QUESTIONNAIRES to assess attachment type and bullying in 196 (7-11yr olds).
What was concluded from Myron-Wilson and Smith’s study on early attachments?
Securely attached children were least likely to be involved in bullying; insecure-AVOIDANT were most likely to be the victims and insecure-RESISTANT were most likely to be the bullies
What evidence is there for the influence of early attachments on parenting?
Quinton (1984) compared 50 women who had been raised in institutions and had poor attachment with a control group of 50 women raised at home.
What was concluded from Quinton’s study?
The women who had been raised in institutions had significantly more problems with parenting than the control group (e.g. their children were more likely to have been in care)
Which theory do Quinton’s findings support?
The continuity hypothesis
😔 of Quinton’s study?
31% of “ex-care” women went on to be good parents which doesn’t fit with the continuity hypothesis
What evidence is there for the influence of early attachments on adult relationships?
Hazan and Shaver (1987) aimed to test if there was a relationhip between childhood attachment and adult relationshiped by conducting a “love-quiz” study asking people to respond to an article in a newspaper about their relationships. A sample of 200 men and over 400 women was used.
How were childhood attachments assessed in Hazan and Shaver’s study?
Childhood attachment was assessed by asking people to complete an adjective checklist about their childhood relationship with their parents
How were current attachments assessed in Hazan and Shaver’s study?
Current attachments were assessed by asking people to say which people to say which of three descriptions best described their current relationships
Why were attitiudes towards love assessed in Hazan and Shaver’s study?
Attitudes towards love were assessed in order to get a measure of how positive/negative their internal working models were
