Influence of early attachment on later relationships Flashcards
A01
Outline influence of early attachment on later relationships
IWM
According to Bowlby, a babys first relationship with PAF leads to a mental representation of this relationship-the IWM
* The IWM acts as template for future childhood & adult relationships
* The continuity hypothesis:The idea that early relationships with caregivers predict later relationships in adulthood.
* quality of first relationship crucial, IWM powerfully affects nature of future relationships
* If baby has positive experience /negative experience will assume thats how relationships are like will seek out functional/dysfunctional relationships
PAF-Primary attachment figure
A01
Outline Positive IWM
Child with positive IWM will form positive mental framework of loving relationship with attachment figure bring these qualities to their future relationships
seek out functional relationships
A01
Outline Negative IWM
Child with bad experiences of first attachment will bring bad experiences to later relationships
>struggle to form relationships -displaying insecure-resistant /insecure avoidant behaviours towards friends & partners
A01
Outline relationships in childhood-Wilson & smith
Wilson & Smith
Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood.
Secure attached form best quality childhood friendships
Insecurely attached-friendship difficulties
Wilson & Smith assessed attachment type & bullying involvement using questionnaire in 196 children aged 7-11
* securely attached unlikely to be involved in bullying
* Insecure-avoidant-most likely victims of bullying
* Insecure-resistant-most likely bullies
A01
Outline Relationships in adulthood- McCarthy
McCarthy
McCarthy-studied 40 adult women assessed as babies to establish early attachment type
* adults assessed as securely attached babies had best friendships & romantic relationships
* adults classified as insecure-resistant as babies-problems maintaining friendships
* Insecure avoidant struggled with intimacy & romantic relationships
research supports Bowlby’s attachment theory and Hazan & Shaver’s (1987) research
A01
Outline Hazen & shaver(1987) Love Quiz
Procedure
correlation study
Conducted a study of association between attachment & adult relationships
Analysed 620 replies to ‘love quiz’ printed in local newspaper
>Quiz had 3 sections
* First section assessed respondents current relationship
* second assessed general love experiences
* Third assessed their attachment type
A01
Outline Hazen & Shavers findings
- 56% SECURE,
- 25% AVOIDANT,
- 19% RESISTANT-
- securely attached adults-believed love is enduring, had mutual trust & longer lasting relationships
- Insecure attached-fear of intimacy & jealous
- Findings suggest patterns of attachment behaviour are reflected in romantic relationships
A03
Influence of early attachment is deterministic
Limitation
- P = Its reductionist & deterministic,
suggests poor-quality attachment inevitably means p will become bad parents themselves & unable to form ‘normal’ romantic relationships &friendships in adulthood. - E - suggests that insecurely attached infants will grow up & have bad adult relationships, when this is not true.
- E -There are many cases of insecurely attached children growing to have happy
relationships.
A03
Correlational research is flawed
Limitation
- The correlational nature of attachment research is flawed.
- as cannot establish cause & effect relationship betwen early attachment & later adult relationship styles; as there may be other variables, like poverty
A03
Research support -Bailey et al IWM
Strength
Bailey et al- assessed attachment relationships-99 mothers and 1 year old babies
>measured mothers attachment to own primary attachment figures(parents)
>assed quality of attachment to babies
> mothers with poor attachment to parents-poorly attached babies
>Supports Bowlbys idea of continuity
* The IWM we develop in response to our first PAF contain perceptions of what a normal relationship looks like, thus we seek relationships in accordance with our IWM
A03
Practical applications of early attachment research-childhood-schools can alter children IWM
Strength
Schools can use knowledge pf IWM to help children alter their IWM to address childhood bullying & loneliness.
* adapting childrens IWM would also help children achieve relationship stability in later adult relationships. potentially reducing cost to the economy related to divorce & mental health issues related to relationship breakdow
