Influence of early attachment on later relationships Flashcards
What did Bowlby think about the relationship between attachment style and ability to get on with people? Why?
According to Bowlby later relationships are likely to be a continuation of early attachment styles (secure and insecure) because the behavior of the infant’s primary attachment figure promotes an internal working model of relationships which leads the infant to expect the same in later relationships.
The Influence of Early Attachments
Describe the internal working model (3x)
Who was it proposed by?
Proposed by Bowlby
- Attachment to primary caregiver provides child with internal working model of relationships
- Model represents relationship with primary figure and acts as a template for future relationships
- Predicts outcomes of behaviour in childhood and adulthood
2 studies supporting bowlbys hypothesis (1=what was the study, what was found and how can IWM explain findings, 2= who, and what they found)
For example, the Minnesota study (2005) followed participants from infancy to late adolescence and found continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behavior. Securely attached children were rated most highly for social competence later in childhood, were less isolated and more popular than insecurely attached children.
-Results can be explained by internal working model: infants securely attached = positive expectations of others
expect trustworthiness and friendliness in return
Hartup et.al (1993) argues that children with a secure attachment type are more popular at nursery and engage more in social interactions with other children. In contrast, insecurely attached children tend to be more reliant on teachers for interaction and emotional support.
The Influence of Early Attachments
An alternative explanation? What does it mean? (1-1)
continuity in relationships is the temperament hypothesis which argues that an infant’s temperament affects the way a parent responds and so may be a determining factor in infant attachment type. The infant’s temperament may explain their issues (good or bad) with relationships in later life.
What does research indicate about attachments over generations? (1-1)
- Research indicates an intergenerational continuity between adults attachment types and their children, including children adopting the parenting styles of their own parents.
- People tend to base their parenting style on the internal working model so attachment type tends to be passed on through generations of a family.
Two pieces of evidence for this idea? Why is it evidence?
- Research by Bailey - found that the majority of women had the same attachment classification both to their babies and their own mothers
- Harlow’s findings, monkeys with poor/no attachments = experienced difficulties with parenting
Why do adult relationships tend to reflect early attachment style?
Adult relationships are likely to reflect early attachment style. This is because the experience a person has with their caregiver in childhood would lead to the expectation of the same experiences in later relationships.
Relationships in Adulthood: Romantic
State the key study
Hazan and Shaver (1987)
Hazan and Shaver (1987)
State the aim (2)
Questionnaire, ‘Love Quiz’ designed to test internal working model
- collect information of participants’ early attachment styles and their attitudes towards loving relationships.
- to see if attachment type formed as infant influences friendships & adult relationships
Hazan and Shaver (1987)
Describe the procedure (3)
- ‘Love Quiz’ = 3 sections published in local American newspaper’
- 1st section: assess individuals’ most important relationship
- 2nd section: finding out general experiences in love
- 3rd section: asked some participants about their feelings in relation to some statements
- Received 620 volunteer responses
What did Hazan find? (2) What idea does this support?
They found that those who were securely attached as infants tended to have happy lasting relationships. On the other hand, insecurely attached people found adult relationships more difficult, tended to divorce and believed love was rare. This supports the idea that childhood experiences have significant impact on people’s attitude toward later relationships.
Influence of Early Attachment on Later Life
Elaborate on the -ve evaluation point about: Overly reductionist (3)
- This theory is accused of being reductionist because it assumes that people who are insecurely attached as infants would have poor quality adult relationships. - This is not always the case. Researchers found plenty of people having happy relationships despite having insecure attachments.
- Therefore the theory might be an oversimplification.= Many factors may influence later attachment
Influence of Early Attachment on Later Life
Elaborate on the -ve evaluation point about: Correlational data (4)
- Can’t say early attachment types and later love styles are based on cause & effect relationship
+ May be other variables = e.g. individual differences and innate temperament may influence how parent responses to child and attachment style formed - Temperament hypothesis suggests quality of adult relationships is determined biologically from innate personality
- Temperament may be basis for how later relationships are formed
Influence of Early Attachment on Later Life
Elaborate on the -ve evaluation point about: Overly deterministic (3)
- Assume early childhood attachment types are fixed into adulthood
- & assume those insecurely attached at 1 = definitely going experiences emotional unhappiness in relationships as adults → incorrect
- Researchers found people who were not securely attached as infants to lead happy adult relationships in later life
