influence of early relationships

Question 1

influence - 3 ao1

Answer 1

internal working model - bowlby’s idea that the primary attachment relationship provides a template for later relationships

relationships in childhood -
securely attached children have better friendships - kerns
securely attached children less likely to be involved in bullying - myron-wilson and smith

relationships in adulthood -
securely attached adults have better relationships with friends and partners - mccarthy
secure responders had better and longer lasting relationships - avoidant responders had fear of intimacy - hazan and shaver
mothers’ attachment type matched that of their mothers and their babies - bailey et al

Question 2

influence - validity

Answer 2

sample used – Bailey – mothers – gynocentric view – child may have insecure attachment with mum but secure with that – only mother taken into account – incomplete picture

Question 3

influence - reliability

Answer 3

many of findings cannot be replicated (continuity research) – Zimmerman assessed children at 12-18 months to identify attachment type and again at 16 years – early attachment was not a good predictor for later relationships – conclusions not consistent across situations

Question 4

influence - application

Answer 4

teaches parents to understand distress, struggle as have no IWM to base this off – prevents another generation of poor IWM

Question 5

influence - internal validity

Answer 5

problem of continuity research – low internal validity – self-report – need to be honest – may forget – cant be sure conclusions about continuity are genuine

Question 6

influence - ethics

Answer 6

economic implications for working mothers, feel guilty as blamed if things go wrong – not economically best decisions but researchers wanted to boost mothers’ status