Influence of early attachments on later relationships Flashcards
What is the influence of early attachment on childhood relationships
-Keens (1991): securely attached babies go onto developing better childhood friendships whereas insecure attached babies have difficulties.
-Wilson and Smith (1998) assessed attachment type and involvement in bullying using questionaires for 196 children aged 7-11: secure attachment = least likely to be involved, avoidant = victims, resistant= bullies
What is the influence of early attachment on relationships in adulthood?
-Internal working models affect future romantic relationships
-Hazan and Shavers (1987) study: analysed 620 replies to ‘love quiz’ in US newspaper
-56% secure attachment and had good romantic relationships
-25% avoidant and were jealous and fear of intimacy
What are the strengths of influence of early attachment on relationships research
-research support: Fearon and Roisman concluded that early attachment predicts later attachment + emotion wellbeing and attachment to own children. secure attachment= healthy and longlasting
insecure avoidant = mild disadvantages for development
-disorganised attachment = later mental disorder
HOWEVER: Regensburg longitudinal study (becker-stoll 2008) followed 43 individuals from age 1. At age 16 attachment was measured with adult attachment interview and there was no sign of continuity.
What are the weaknesses of influence of early attachment on relationships research
-Validity issues with retrospective studies: relies on honesty of participants and accurate perception of participant and it is hard to know if you are assessing early attachment or adult attachment now- Heidi Bailey’s research
-Confounding variables: parenting style may affect later attachment or genetic explanations could also explain a person’s attachments
