the influence of early attachment

Question 1

what is an internal working model?

Answer 1

• a template of expectations based on early experiences and the attachment formed with the primary caregiver
• through this the infant learns what a relationship is and how its formed
• it predicts the likely outcomes of behaviour in childhood and adulthood

Question 2

relationships in childhood

Answer 2

• kerns (1994) found securely attached infants are more likely to have good quality relationships during childhood, while infants with insecure attachments are more likely to have relationship difficulties
• sroufe et al (2005) found infants rated high in social competence during childhood were more empathetic, popular and felt less isolated

Question 3

hazan and shaver (1987): relationships in adulthood - aim

Answer 3

‘the love quiz’, designed to test the internal working model to assess if attachment type formed as an infant impacted adult relationships

Question 4

hazan and shaver (1987): relationships in adulthood - method

Answer 4

• the love quiz was published in an american newspaper and got 620 volunteer responses (205 men and 415 women)
• first section assessed their most important relationship
• second assessed general experiences in love
• third asked self selecting participants about their feelings in relation to some statements

Question 5

hazan and shaver (1987): relationships in adulthood - results

Answer 5

• 56% classed as securely attached, 25% as insecure avoidant, and 19% as insecure resistant
• found pos correlation between early attachment type and experiences in love
• those classed as insecure avoidant more likely to report feelings of dislike of intimacy
• those classed as insecure resistant were more likely to have shorter relationships

Question 6

hazan and shaver (1987): relationships in adulthood - conclusion

Answer 6

specific attachment type behaviours are reflected in adult relationships as a result of an internal working model

Question 7

relationships in adulthood - parenting

Answer 7

• the internal working model impacts a persons parenting style, they are based off of personal experiences and expectations
• bailey et al (2007) looked at attachment types of nearly 100 mothers and infants using strange situation with the relationship they had with their own mothers. most of the women had the same attachment to their infant as their mother, supporting the internal working model

Question 8

give a limitation of the internal working model
1/4

Answer 8

research on the continuity of attachment types is mixed. zimmerman (2000) suggests no link between infant attachment type and the quality of relationships with parents during adolescence. this challenges the importance of the internal working model on the development of relationships, casting doubt on its significance emphasised by developmental psychologists like bowlby

Question 9

give a limitation of the internal working model
2/4

Answer 9

research on the influence of attachment on later relationships and the role of the internal working model is mainly correlational, it shows relationships between variables but doesn’t establish causality. fraley et al (2002) found correlation coefficients varied from +0.1 to +0.5, indicating that they weren’t always strong pos. this reduces the reliability of correlational research in this area due to the unstable range of results

Question 10

give a limitation of the internal working model
3/4

Answer 10

there are methodological issues with studying attachment type retrospectively. studies like haas and shaver’s love quiz rely on adults’ self reports of their childhood memories - however, these are likely to be impaired due to deterioration, leading to inaccuracies and reduced internal validity of findings. additionally, individuals may not respond honestly or even have insight into their attachment expectations due to unconscious influences

Question 11

give a limitation of the internal working model
4/4

Answer 11

studies on attachment’s influence on future relationships often have set views on future behaviour outcomes. for instance, an insecurely attached infant will have unsatisfactory relationships later in life due to negative experiences with their caregiver shaping their internal working model. however this perspective is criticised as being overly deterministic, implying there is no chance for alternative outcomes. research has shown instances where people who, despite having difficult beginnings, have formed happy relationships as adults, suggesting that bowlby may have overestimated the role of the internal working model