Influence of Early Attachment Flashcards
influence of early attachments
4
early attachments have lifelong consequences — the quality of an infant’s primary attachment has a positive correlation with the quality of later relationships
this is known as the continuity hypothesis in Bowlby’s theory of attachment
key to this correlation is the internal working model
key features of the theory…
• role of internal working model
• behaviours influences by the IWM
• key study: Hazan and Shaver
role of internal working model
5
internal working model = a mental model of the world which enables individuals to predict and control their environment, relates to a person’s expectations about relationships
acquired as infants learn about relationships from experience — they learn what relationships are and how partners in a relationship behave towards each other
the quality of a child’s first attachment is vital as it acts as a template that will affect future relationships
for example, if a child’s first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver they will assume that this is what relationships should be and seek out functional relationships
but a child with bad experiences of early attachment will bring this to later relationships, they may struggle to form them or not behave appropriately within them
behaviours influenced by the internal working model
4
childhood friendships
parenting
romantic relationships
mental health
childhood friendships
4
the Minnesota child project found continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behaviour
those classified as securely attached in infancy were rated highest for social competence later in childhood
they were less isolated and more popular
can be explained in terms of the internal working model because securely attached infants have higher expectations that others are friendly and trusting which would enable easier relationships with others
poor parenting
3
Harlow’s research with monkeys demonstrated a link between poor attachment and later difficulties with parenting
Quinton et al found that this is also true in humans
the lack of a healthy internal working model means that individuals lack a reference point to subsequently form healthy relationships with their own children
romantic relationships
2
Hazan and Shaver found a link between early attachment type and later romantic relationships
securely attached individuals tended to have longer lasting romantic relationships that were happier and more trusting
mental health
3
lack of an attachment during the critical period in development could result in lack of an internal working model, which can lead to attachment disorder
children with attachment disorder have no preferred attachment type, an inability to interact and relate to others and tend to experience severe neglect or frequent change of caregiver
attachment disorder is now classed as a psychiatric condition in the DSM
KEY STUDY: Hazan and Shaver, 1987 (procedure)
4
designed a study to test the internal working model
placed a questionnaire called the ‘Love Quiz’ in an American newspaper
analysed 620 responses (205 from men and 415 from women)
the questionnaire asked about current attachment experiences and attachment history in order to identify current and childhood attachment types, it also asked about attitudes towards love to assess the internal working model
KEY STUDY: Hazan and Shaver, 1987 (findings)
6
the prevalence of attachment styles was similar to that found in infancy — 56% classified as secure, 25% as avoidant and 19% as resistant
there was a positive correlation between attachment type and love experiences
securely attached individuals were most likely to have strong, long lasting romantic relationships — they described their love experiences as happy, friendly and trusting, their relationships also lasted longer (10 years on average)
whereas relationships for avoidant and resistant attached individuals only lasted around 5-6 years and these respondents revealed jealousy and fear of intimacy
there is a relationship between conception of love (the internal working model) and attachment type — securely attached individuals tended to have a positive view on love and a positive internal working model
suggests that patterns of early attachment behaviour are reflected in future romantic relationships — early attachment clearly influences later relationships
x3 evaluation points
research is correlational
overly deterministic
supported by the Minnesota child project
EVALUATION
research is correlational
5
research into the relationship between the internal working model and later relationships is correlational rather than experimental
meaning we cannot claim that the relationship between early attachment and later love styles is one of cause and effect — early attachments don’t necessarily cause later love styles, there is merely a correlation
it’s possible that later love styles and relationships are caused or impacted by something very different
some studies suggest that later relationships have nothing to do with early attachment, but that relationships are actually dependent upon innate temperament
therefore, research into the influence of early attachment may lack usefulness in explaining the impact that attachment has on future relationships and should be viewed with caution
EVALUATION
overly deterministic
5
the claim that early attachment has a fixed effect on adult relationships is overly deterministic
it suggests that those with insecure attachments are doomed to have unsuccessful adult relationships and that the past determines the future course of relationships
but researchers have found numerous instances in which participants with insecure attachments in infancy have gone on to have happy and long lasting adult relationships
this suggests that there is more to later relationships than simply the influence of early attachment and the internal working model
therefore, the theory may be providing an incomplete and inaccurate explanation of the influence of early attachment and should be viewed with caution
EVALUATION
support from the Minnesota child project
6
the study demonstrated that early attachment and the internal working model influences friendships in later childhood
it found continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behaviour
individuals classified as securely attached in infancy were rated highest for social competence later in childhood — they were less isolated and more popular
these findings can be explained in terms of the internal working model — securely attached children tend to have higher expectations that others are friendly and trusting, which would enable easier relationships with others as they’d be more willing to form secure bonds
this supports the idea that early attachment influences later relationships, which is a key finding of Hazan and Shaver’s study
therefore, the theory can claim reliability and may be increased in its ability to explain the influence of early attachment
