The Influence Of Early Attachments On Childhood And Adult Relationships

Question 1

Hazan and Shaver- Method

Answer 1

• Sample of 620 replies to an advertisement in a newspaper.
• Correlation, comparing early attachment to adulthood attachment.
• Used a love quiz with three sections: assessing respondents relationships, general love experiences and assessing attachment type.

Question 2

Hazan and Shaver- Results

Answer 2

• 56% of respondents classified themselves secure.
• 25% were avoidant.
• 19% were resistant.

Question 3

The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships evaluations- Research support for continuity hypothesis

Answer 3

• Research support for continuity hypothesis.
• Ev- Hazan and Shaver- Results.
• Ex- Therefore, supports the view that our early childhood attachment continues into adulthood and shapes our future relationships.
• However, there are methodological problems, as it is correlational- lack of causation, self report- social desirability and retrospective- inaccurate memory recall.

Question 4

The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships evaluations- Not all research has found the same positive correlations.

Answer 4

• Not all research has found the same positive correlations.
• Ev- Reviewed 27 sample, infants were assessed in infancy and later reassessed. They found correlation coefficients (0.1-0.5) between early childhood and adulthood attachments.
• Ex- Therefore, criticises Bowlby as in fact early childhood attachment does not strongly correlate with adulthood attachment. Hence, our early infancy does not determine our adulthood and future relationship success.
• However, real life evidence for long term effects of early attachment that can be reversed into adulthood.

Question 5

The influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships evaluations- Long term effects of early attachment that can be reversed

Answer 5

• Real life evidence for one term effects of early attachment that can be reversed into adulthood.
• Ev- Rutter (if before 6months adoption, low IQ and disinhibited attachments reversed) and Czech twins (when adopted at 7, by 20 above average IQ)
• Ex- Therefore, our early attachment does not determine the long term effects into adulthood, e.g. can be reversed through improved attachment figures in our lives, e.g. adoptive parents.
• Therefore, people can change their future relationships, its not determined that people will continue to repeat failed relationships and have more divorces, as Hazan and Shavers supposed. We can learn from our past experiences, and change our attachment type throughout our life.