Influence of early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

What is the internal working model?

Answer 1

Bowlby (1969):
- Suggested that a child’s first relationship with their primary attachment figure forms a mental representation of this relationship. This internal working model acts as a template for future relationships.

Question 2

How are relationships in later childhood dependent on attachment types?

Answer 2

• Attachment type is associated with relationships in childhood. Securely attached infants tend to form the best quality friendships whereas insecurely attached have friendship difficulties. (Kerns 1994)

Question 3

What research did Myron-Wilson and Smith (1998) conduct?

Answer 3

• Bullying behaviour can be predicted by attachment type.
• Myron-Wilson & Smith (1998) 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 most likely to be victims and insecure-resistant children were most likely to be bullies.

Question 4

How are relationships in adulthood dependent on attachment types?

Answer 4

• McCarthy (1999) found that out of 40 women assessed as infants, those who were securely attached (type B) had the best adult friendships and romantic relationships.
• Adults classed as insecure and resistant (type C) had problems maintaining friendships. Insecure avoidant (type A) struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships.

Question 5

What research did Hazan and Shaver (1987) conduct?

Answer 5

AIM: To investigate the association between attachment and adult relationships.

PROCEDURE: Analysed 620 replies to a ‘love quiz’ printed in an American newspaper. This contained three sections; current/most important relationship, general love experience and finally attachment type.

FINDINGS:
- 56% of respondents identified as securely attached - most likely to have good and longer-lasting romantic experiences.
- 25% insecure-avoidant - the tendency to reveal jealousy and fear of intimacy

CONCLUSION: Suggesting that patterns of attachment behaviour are reflected in romantic relationships

Question 6

How does the internal working model affect relationships in adulthood as a parent?

Answer 6

• The IWM also has an impact on parenting ability. People tend to base their parenting style through the IWM. Attachment tends to be passed down from generation to generation.
• Bailey et al (2007) looked at the attachment of 99 mothers to their babies and to their own mothers. The majority of mothers had the same attachment classification both to their babies and their own mothers.

Question 7

(AO3) What is a strength of this explanation?

Answer 7

Research support:

• A strength of the influence of early attachment on later relationships is that intervention strategies might help such individuals, such as extra attention and emotional care, in which case the benefits outweigh the costs.

Question 8

(AO3) What is a weakness of this explanation?
(1)

Answer 8

Contradictory research:

• Not all evidence supports the existence of close links between early attachment and later development.
• Becker-Stoll et al (2008) followed 42 individuals from age 1, and at age 16 attachment was assessed using the adult attachment interview and there was no evidence of continuity.
• This means that it is not clear to what extent the quality of early attachment predicts later development and there may be other factors.

Question 9

(AO3) What is a weakness of this explanation?
(2)

Answer 9

Validity Issues:

• Most research on the link between early attachment and later development is not longitudinal and researchers instead ask participants questions about their relationship with their parents and identify their attachment type from that.

-This results in questions about the validity of the research and means that the measures of early attachment used in most studies may be confounded with other factors making them meaningless.

Question 10

(AO3) What is a weakness of this explanation?
(3)

Answer 10

Cofounding Variables:

• While the assessment of early attachment is valid, some studies that assessed attachment in infancy may have validity problems due to associations between attachment quality and later development may be affected by confounding variables.
• For example, parenting style may influence both attachment quality and later development, but genetically influenced personality may be an influence on both factors.
• This means that we can never be entirely sure that it is early attachment and not another factor that is influencing later development.