Lesson 8 - Influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships

Question 1

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Aim and Hypothesis

Answer 1

• Explore possibility that attachment theory offers perspective on adult romantic love

-create framework for understanding love, loneliness, grief

Question 2

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Procedure

Answer 2

• ‘Love Quiz’ in American small-town newspaper

• asked Qs about current attachment experiences
-asked about attachment history

Question 3

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Samples

Answer 3

• Sample 1

• 620 responses
• 205 men
• 415 women

-14-82 years old

• Sample 2

• 108 students
• 38 men
• 70 women

Question 4

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Findings 1

Answer 4

• Securely attached
-56% both

• Insecure-avoidant

• 23% sample 1
• 25% sample 2

• Insecure-resistant

• 19% sample 1
• 20% sample 2

Question 5

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Findings 2

Answer 5

• Both samples

• securely attached PPs described most important love relationships as
• ‘happy, friendly, trusting’
• PPs had longer lasting relationships
• if married, not likely divorced

• Both insecure types vulnerable to loneliness

Question 6

Internal Working Model

• Hazan and Shaver(1987)
• Conclusions

Answer 6

• % of adults in attachment types match children in Strange Situation studies
• Correlation between adult’s attachment style similar to Ainsworth’s findings

Question 7

Internal working model Evaluation

Answer 7

• Clark & Clark(1998) describe influence of infant attachment on later relationships as PROBABLE but NOT DEFINITE

-quality of infant attachments influence on later relationships probably exaggerate significance of influence

• Most studies of IWM use self report techniques

• Parents may show social desirability bias
• secure relationship w/ children
• parents asked about their attachment may forget, lie, exaggerate
• methodological issues affect validity because info from PP not entirely accurate

• EVIDENCE of CONTINUITY between infant’s attachment + later relationships is MIXED

• Bailey et al(2007) show attachment type passed through generations
• Zimmerman(2000) found very little relationships between quality of infant + adolescent attachment