Influence of early attachments on childhood relationships Flashcards
What is the continuity hypothesis?
The idea that there is consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships as the internal working model becomes a template for future relationships
What was Youngblade and Belsky’s research?
Found that 3-5 year old securely attached children were more curious, competent and empathetic, resilient and self-confident, get along better with other children and were more likely to form close friendships
What was the evaluation of Y and B’s research?
Attachments formed between infants and their carers have a large influence in determining the quality of subsequent childhood relationships with those forming secure attachments seeming to profit best in terms of developing positive personal characteristics and social abilities.
What was Mullis et al’s research?
Reported that in late childhood attachments that are made to peers reflect those made to parents in infancy. Laible backed up this by finding that in late childhood individuals transfer attachment behaviours learned in childhood to social situations and peer groups - supports the idea of continuity from early attachments and internal working model
What is the evaluation for Mullis’ study?
Early attachment types can be seen to influence the development of individual differences in cognitive ability , emotional responses and social skills, all of which influence the quality of later childhood relationships
What was Westermack’s research?
Reported that children who close friendships in the first six years of life do not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with eachother, which suggests that early attachments do affect childhood and adulthood relationships.
What I the evaluation of Westermack’s research?
Perceiving the quality of later relationships as being causes solely by the quality of early attachments is somewhat deterministic. It is likely that other factors are influential too (e.g. financial pressure or age difference between partners)
What was Sheper’s research?
Examined 3000 Israeli marriage records to find that no children reared together on a kibbutz got married to eachother, which backs up Westermack’s findings and supports the idea that early attachments influence later relationships.
What is the evaluation of Sheper’s study?
The fact that children who form attachments to eachother in early life do not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with eachother suggests that its an evolutionary anti-incest device that serves to stop related individuals breeding as such relationships could lead to the birth of children with genetically transmitted responsibilities
