Developmental: Early Attachment On Later Adult Relationships Flashcards
What is the continuity hypothesis?
The idea that there is consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships. Based on the internal working model, where infants primary attachment forms a template for future relationships
What is the temperament hypothesis?
The idea that the nature of infants attachments is due to innate personality factors. Sees attempts to develop better quality relationships by changing peoples attachment styles to more positive ones as not working.
why did Hazan and Shaver conduct their study?
Assessed Bowlbys idea that early attachment styles would be reflected in adult romantic relationships - some support for this idea was found, but continuity of childhood attachment style into adulthood did not always occur.
What was Hazans and Shavers study?
‘Love Quiz’ questionnaire.
Volunteers of ptps answering from a newspaper - 620 were analysed, Variables was the infant attachment type and the attitude to the most important love relationship.
Quiz had three sections:
1. Assessing ptps current or most significant relationship
2. General love experiences
3. Assessing attachment type by responding to 1 of the 3 statements
What did Hazan and Shaver find?
- 56% of respondents classified themselves as secure
- 25% avoidant
- 19% resistant
—> adults with secure attachment in childhood were more accepting and supportive of their parents despite their faults. Believed love is enduring, had mutual trust and were less likely to get divorced
—> adults with avoidant infant attachments were afraid of intimacy, experienced more highs and lows and experienced jealousy.
—> adults with resistant were prone to obsession and extreme sexual attraction and extreme jealousy.
Love experiences and attitudes towards love (internal working model) were related to attachment type. Insecure attachments felt love was rare, fall in and out of love easily and find relationships less easy and more likely to get divorced.
How did Baileys study support this?
Assessed 99 mothers/infants using the SS and interviews. Found the majority of the mothers has the same attachment type with their infants as with their mothers.
How did Kerns also support this?
Securely attached infants have better relationships in later childhood than insecurely attached infants.
What’s some general evaluation for this theory?
- were they truly honest about their past/upbringing (social desirability)
- may not have remembered their past completely
- causation - just because there is a relationship between two factors doesn’t mean there is a causal relationship. (E.g. trauma from past partners could have influenced it or child’s temperament)
- issues of validity - retrospective data
How is the evidence for continuity hypothesis mixed?
- McCarthy supports continuity
- yet, Zimmerman found little relationship between quality of infant and adolescent attachment
What is some of the key summary points from this theory?
- research indicated continuity between early attachment styles and quality of childhood relationships
- children who form attachments to each other early in life will not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with each other
- early attachment types influence the development of individual difference (e.g. cognitive ability, emotional responses, social skills) which influence the quality of later relationships
- continuity hypothesis not fully supported, as insecure people can develop secure attachments if they form relationships with securely attached people
- also, secure children can go on to have insecurely attached relationships if they experience negative life events
- only current relationships are studied, people may go on to have different future relationships
- continuity also seems to decrease as individuals progress further into adulthood.
