influence of early attachments on relationships

Question 1

what’s the continuity hypothesis

Answer 1

• sees children’s attachment types being reflected in later relationships
• based on the internal working model

Question 2

research for relationships in later childhood

Answer 2

• Kerns = securely attached infants tend to go on to form the best quality childhood friendships whereas insecurely attached infants later have friendship difficulties

Question 3

research for relationships in adulthood with romantic partners

Answer 3

• Hazan and Shaver = 620 replies to ‘love quiz, assessed current to most important relationship, general love experiences such as number of partners and attachement type - found 56% secure, 25% IA, 19% IR, those reporting secure were most likely to have good and longer lasting romantic experiences

Question 4

relationships in adulthood as a parent

Answer 4

• people tend to base their parenting style on their internal working model, so attachment type tends to be passed on through generations

Question 5

evaluate influence of early attachment

Answer 5

• Zimmerman = found little relationship between quality of infant and adolescent attachment, challenges importance of internal working model
• reliance on self-report = hazan and shaver uses self-report which is unreliable due to its subjectivity and may be subject to social desirability bias
• lack of cause and effect = there may be other factors such as temperament and supporting research is purely correlational
• deterministic = suggests those with insecure attachments as an infant will parent in the same way and their children will also be insecurely attached
• socially sensitive/ethical implications = anything to do with internal working model and insecure attachments can be seen as putting blame on caregivers, therefore making them think its their fault for any negative behaviours AND suggests those with insecure attachments are doomed