The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships

Question 1

describe the internal working model

Answer 1

• child form mental repr of their early attachment beh w primary caregiver
• acts as model for future rships
• if loving prim caregiver = secure attachment, form successful later rships
• if unresponsive form insecure attachment, more problems forming rships
• mental rep influences nature of all later childhood and adult rships also rships w own children

Question 2

IWM influence on childhood rships

Answer 2

• if secure to prim caregiver, better quality rships w peers
• if insecure to prim caregiver, difficulty making friends
• smith et al found, bullying behaviour with insec avoid likely to be victims of bullying, insec res to be bully

Question 3

IWM influence on adult romantic rships

Answer 3

• Hazen & shaver (love quiz) study adult attachment
• 56% securely attached as children = (+) longer lasting romantic rships w partners they can trust
• 25% as insec-avoid as children = more jealousy feared intimacy
• 19% as insec-res = fear being abandoned can put too much pressure on partner

Question 4

IWM influence on own children rships

Answer 4

• ppl base parenting style on IWM so attachment passed on fam generations
• Bailey et al found mothers have same attachment style w child as did w own mother

Question 5

AO3 for The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships, including the role of an internal working model

Answer 5

RTS Harlow

• seperated monkeys from birth, wire + cloth, had no early attachment
• found very diff forming rships w other monkeys when older
• EG: diff mating, female inadequate mothers
• supports infl of early attach, shows having (-) early attachment lead to (-) later attachment w own children
• However on animals, human beh more complex

Deterministic

• beh is controlled by early rships
• EG: (-) early attachment lead to (-) w own children later
• neglect role of free will and choice indiv has
• EG: person may want diff rship w child than own experienced
• therefore limiting research into early attachment on later rships

socially sensitive

• suggest later child and adult rships success and quality of parenting due to early childhood attachment
• blames parent for rship failures could have damaging effect on rships.
• Raises ethical issue when expl infl of early attach on later rships