Influence of early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

Define what type C behaviour in terms of how a person acts in a relationship would be

Answer 1

• controlling and argumentative

Question 2

Define what type A behaviour in terms of how a person acts in a relationship would be

Answer 2

• too uninvolved or too emotionally close

Question 3

What did Myron-Wilson and Smith find

Answer 3

• used questionnaires to asses how attachment type could effect bullying,
• 196 children aged 7-11 from London participated
• insecure-avoidant were most likely to be ‘victims’ of bullying whilst insecure resistant were most likely to be bullies

Question 4

Outline McCarthy’s study and procedure

Answer 4

• studied 40 women who had been assessed when they were infants to establish their early attachment type
• SA best friendships and relationships
• IR had problems maintaining friendships
• IA had problems with intimacy or romantic relationships

Question 5

Hazan and shaver conducted a classic study of the association between attachment and adult relationships, outline their procedure for the study

Answer 5

• analysed 620 replies to a ‘love quiz’
• quiz had 3 sections
• 1st assessed respondents’ current or most important relationship
• 2nd assessed general love experiences such as the number of partners
• 3rd assessed attachment type

Question 6

What were the findings of Hazan and Shavers’ study

Answer 6

• 56% identified as SA
• 25% with IA
• 19% with IR
• IA, fear of intimacy and jealousy

Question 7

Give a limitation of the internal working models

Answer 7

• not all studies support it
• Zimmerman assessed infant attachment type and adolescent attachment to parents
• little relationship between quality of infant and adolescent attachment

Question 8

Give another limitation to these types of studies

Answer 8

• association does not mean causality

- there are alternate explanations, a third environmental factor, parenting or the child’s temperament