Influence of early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

What is the internal working model?

Answer 1

Our mental representation constructed by a child’s first relationship with their primary attachment, which acts as a template for future relationships.
Strong monotropic experience as an infant have effective relationships as adults thanks to a strong internal working model.
Negative monotropic experience show that bullies and loners at school have antisocial behaviour because of their faulty internal working model.

Question 2

State the relationships of securely attached infants.

Answer 2

Formed the best quality childhood friendships.

Question 3

State the relationships of insecure-resistant attached infants.

Answer 3

Later have friendships difficulties (Kerns, 1994).

Are most likely to be victims of bullying and be the bullies (Myron-Wilson and Smith).

Question 4

Explain Myron-Wilson and Smith’s experiment.

Answer 4

Assessed attachment type and bullying involvement using standard questionnaires in 196 children aged 7-11 from London.
Secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying.
Insecure-avoidant children were the most likely to be victims.
Insecure-resistant children were most likely to be bullies.

Question 5

Bowlby’s internal working model suggests that a child’s relationship with its primary caregiver influences future adult relationships as it forms a template.

What studies support this claim?

Answer 5

Hazan and Shavers - Love quiz.

McCarthy (1999)

Question 6

What is the aim of Hazan and Shavers love quiz study?

Answer 6

To see the association of attachment and adult relationships

Question 7

What are the procedures of Hazan and Shavers love quiz study?

Answer 7

Analysed 620 replies to a ‘love quiz’ printed in an American local newspaper.
Quiz had 3 sections
1st – assessed respondents’ current or most important relationship
2nd – assessed general love experiences such as number of partners
3rd – assessed attachment type by asking respondents to choose which of three statements best described their feelings

Question 8

What are the findings of Hazan and Shavers love quiz study?

Answer 8

56% of respondents were identified as securely attached.
25% insecure-avoidant.
19% insecure-resistant.
Secure attachments respondents were the most likely to have good longer-lasting relationships.
Avoidant respondents tended to reveal jealousy and fear of intimacy.

Question 9

What did Hazan and Shavers conclude?

Answer 9

The findings suggest that patterns of attachment behaviour are reflected in romantic relationships.

Question 10

What was the aim of McCarthy (1999) experiment?

Answer 10

To see the association of attachment and adult relationships

Question 11

What was the procedure of McCarthy (1999) experiment?

Answer 11

Studied 40 women who had been assessed when they were infants to establish their early attachment type.

Question 12

What were the findings of McCarthy (1999) experiment?

Answer 12

Assessed securely attached babies - best adult friendships and romantic relationships.
Adults classed as insecure-resistant - problems maintaining friendships.
Insecure-avoidant - struggled with with intimacy in romantic relationships.

Question 13

Explain Bailey et al.’s experiment.

Answer 13

Bailey et al. assessed attachment relationships in 99 mothers and their one-year-old babies. The researchers measured the mothers’ attachment to their own primary attachment figures. The researchers also assessed the attachment quality of the babies. They found that mothers with poor attachment to their own primary attachment figures were more likely to have poorly attached babies.

Question 14

What is a strength of research into influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 14

Studies have shown that whilst insecure-avoidant attachment convey fairly mild disadvantages of development, disorganised attachment is associated with later mental disorder.
This shows how early attachment is a good predictor for later relationships.

Question 15

What are the limitations of research into influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 15

Retrospective - leads to validity issues.
Causality
Evidence on continuity of attachment type is mixed.

Question 16

Why is retrospective data a limitation for this research?

Answer 16

E - For example, researchers used interviews and questionnaires to assess participants a year later.
E - This is a problem because the nature of retrospective assessment relies on how accurate participants recollections are. Furthermore, the self-report techniques like this depend on respondents being honest. This could be a risk of social desirability bias where participants present themselves in what they deem a socially acceptable fashion. It also relies on participants having realistic view of their own relationships.
L - Therefore, this research may lack validity.

Question 17

Why is causality a limitation?

Answer 17

Not as simple as ‘infant attachment type = quality of later relationships/attachment’.
Other environmental factors such as parenting styles could affect attachment.
Or there could be confounding variables such as the child’s temperament.

Question 18

How is evidence of continuity type mixed?

Answer 18

Zimmerman (2000) assessed infant attachment type and adolescent attachment to parents. The findings indicated that there was very little relationship between quality of infant and adolescent attachment.
Doesn’t support continuity.
Importance of internal working model is called into question.