Internal Working Model Flashcards
Define the IWM
Child’s Mental representation of early attachment with their primary caregiver
Acts as a model of what future relationships will be like and mirrors them
What happens if a child has a secure attachment to there primary caregiver ?
Better quality relationships with peers
What happens if a child has an insecure attachment to a primary caregiver ?
Difficulty making friends
Smith et al (1998)
Found those with insecure avoidant are more likely to be victims of bullying
Insecure resistant are more likely to be the bully
What question are did Hazel and Shaver make ?
The love quiz
What did they find with those who were securely attached (56%) ?
Positive longer loading romantic relationships and trust partners
What did they find with those who were insecure avoidant (25%)?
Feelings of jealousy and feared intimacy
What do they find with those who were insecure resistant (19%)?
Fear of abandonment and too much pressure on partner
What did Hazer and Shaver conclude of patterns of attachment behaviour ?
Reflected in adult romantic relationships
How does the IWM have influence on relationship with own children ?
People base parenting style on there IWM , attachment tends to be passed in through family generations
What did Bailey et al (2007) find ?
Mothers have same attachment style with their children as they did did with there own mothers
Ao3 RTS early attatchments on later relationships by Harlow
Harlow separated monkeys from and raised them in cages
Thus had no early attachments
Found monkeys had difficulty forming relationships
Eg difficult mating and females become inadequate mothers
Negative early attachments lead to negative relationships
Ao3 criticised for being deterministic
Theory states later relationships are controlled by early relationships eg negative early attachments lead to negative attachments with children
Neglects role of free will
Eg a Person who experiences insecure negative attachment in childhood may choose to have different type of relationship with child
Limiting research into influence of early attachments on later relationships
