Lesson 12 The Influence Of Early Attachments On Adult Relationships

Question 1

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Answer 1

Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver designed a study to test the connection between a person’s infant attachment style, their internal working model, and their adult attachment style.

Question 2

Hazan and Shaver procedure (1987)

Answer 2

Hazan and Shaver placed a ‘Love Quiz’ in the Rocky Mountain News (an American small-town newspaper). The quiz asked questions about their relationship with their parents (to identify infant attachment style), attitudes towards love (to assess their internal working model), and their current relationship experiences (to determine their adult attachment style). They analysed 620 responses, 205 from men and 415 from women, from a fair cross-section of the population.

Question 3

Hazan and Shaver (1987) findings

Answer 3

When analysing adult attachment style they found that the prevalence of adult attachment styles was similar to infant attachment styles. 56% were classified secure, 25% insecure-avoidant and 19% insecure-resistant. This suggests that most people’s infant attachment styles are the same as their adult attachment style.

They also found a relationship between an individual’s internal working model and their adult attachment style – adults with a positive internal working model tended to be securely attached adults.

Finally, they found a positive correlation between adult attachment style and love experiences. Securely attached adults described their love experiences as happy, friendly and trusting. They emphasised being able to accept and support their partner despite faults. These relationships were most enduring – ten years on average compared six years for avoidant and five years for resistant.

Question 4

Disadvantages of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Answer 4

• This study is unreliable, several other studies have failed to find the strong correlation between infant attachment style and adult attachment style. Fraley (2002) conducted a review of 27 samples where infants were assessed in infancy and later reassessed (ranging from one month to 20 years later). He found correlations ranging from .5 to as low as .1
• This study is correlational rather than experimental and therefore we cannot determine cause and effect. It is impossible to say that infant attachment styles determine adult attachment styles. It could be that there is a third variable that affects both, such as a person’s innate temperament.
• This study relies on participants’ memories about their early lives in order to assess their infant attachment style. Such recollections are likely to be flawed because our memories of the past are not always accurate, making the study not valid.