The influence of early attachment

Question 1

How did Bowlby believe early attachment influenced later life

Answer 1

Through the internal working model as the continuity hypothesis

Question 2

What is the internal working model

Answer 2

It is a model of a relationship based off of the one developed with the caregiver which acts as a prototype for future relationships

Question 3

Who conducted the love quiz

Answer 3

Hazan and Shaver

Question 4

Where was the ‘Love Quiz’ posted

Answer 4

In the Rocky Mountain News

Question 5

What was the ‘Love Quiz’

Answer 5

It asked questions about current attachment experiences and attachment history to identify their past and current attitudes to love. An assessment of the internal working model

Question 6

How many people were analysed for the love quiz

Answer 6

They analysed 620 responses, 205 from men and 415 from women. They represented a wide cross-section of the population

Question 7

What were the findings of the ‘love quiz’

Answer 7

They found that the prevalace of attachment styles was similar to those found at infancy

Question 8

What percentage of people in the love quiz were secure

Answer 8

56%

Question 9

What percentage of people in the love quiz were avoidant

Answer 9

25%

Question 10

What percentage of people in the love quiz were resistant

Answer 10

19%

Question 11

Was there a correlation between attachment type and relationship style (in love quiz)

Answer 11

Yes, positive correlation

Question 12

What were the differences in relationships between the different attachment types

Answer 12

Secure people’s relationships were more happy and trusting, lasting on average 10 years compared to 6 years for avoidant people and 5 years for resistant people

Question 13

Were things other than relationships impacted by relationship style

Answer 13

Securely attached people were found to be more socially competent, being more empathertic and popular

Question 14

How did being insecurely attached effect parenting in Quintone et al’s study

Answer 14

They were worse parents as they had no reference point to form an attachement with their own children

Question 15

How is mental health impacted by insecure attachment

Answer 15

Children can have attachment disorders where they have no preffered attachment figure, as well as an inability to relate to others which is evident before the age of five

Question 16

Who didn’t find a strong correlation between early attachment and later relationships

Answer 16

Fraley, he reviewed 27 samples where infants were assessed in infancy and later reassessed. Found correlations ranging from .50 to .10.

Question 17

What did Fraley suggest was one of the reasons for low correlations in his research

Answer 17

Insecure-resistant attachment is more unstable, and so may pull down overall correlations

Question 18

What is an issue with studies of early attachment

Answer 18

They rely on retrospective classifiaction to assess the participants infant attachment type, with is likely to be flawed as people’s memories of the past are often innacurate

Question 19

Who supports Hazan and Shaver despite their use of retrospective classification

Answer 19

Simpson et al, who found in a longitudinal study that those who were securely attached as infants were rated as having higher social competence as children and were closer to friends at 16 and were more emotionally attached to their romantic partners in adulthood

Question 20

Where does this influence of early attachment lie in the determinsm vs free will debate

Answer 20

Very determinist, suggests that if you’re insecurely attached as a child you’re doomed to experience emotionally unfulfillng relationships in adulthood

Question 21

What is an alternative explination for influence of attachment

Answer 21

Feeney “These patterns are properties of the relationship not the individual, as adult relationships are guided by a self verification process, where you seek others who confirm your expectation of a relationship, the adult relationship is causing the adult attachment type rather than the infant attachment type causing the adult relationship.”

Question 22

Who suggested an alternate explination for influence of early attachment

Answer 22

Feeney