The influence of early childhood upon later adult relationships Flashcards
what were the 3 classifications and who studied this
ainsworth
avoidant (a)
secure (b)
reisistant (c)
what percentage of children in the study were securely attached
70%
what percentage of children in the study were avoidant attached
20%
what percentage of children in the study were resistant attached
10%
secure infant description
product of a responsive and sensitive mother
develop into someone with a positive view of themselves
most assured with primary caregiver
happy when mother is present
distressed when mother leaves
stranger provides some but little comfort
avoidant infant description
unresponsive mother that rejects babies requests and don’t cuddle
view themselves as worthless
avoid contact with mother and don’t care if she is there or not
a stranger will offer as much comfort to the child as their mother would
doesn’t show signs pf distress when mother leaves
resistant infant description
inconsistent mother
negative view of themselves which leads to aggressive and exaggerated responses
insecure and clingy attachment
explore the least
unsure of mother- anxious about her presence but rapidly distressed when she leaves
show hostility towards strangers
how do secure children mothers respond
respond appropriately
pick up on child signals
how do insecure children mothers respond and what does this lead it
less responsive
develop coping strategies that enable them to deal with the lack of response
how do secure children develop
healthy emotional, social and cognitive development
how do insecure children develop
less optimal emotional, social and cognitive and intellectual development
secure- relationships
more confident and successful with peers
fewer conflicts in their friendships
They are comfortable with intimacy and autonomy, and they can communicate effectively with their partners. They trust their partners and feel secure in seeking support when needed.
avoidant- relationships
poor adult relationships
Adults with an avoidant attachment style may struggle with intimacy and closeness in their relationships. They often prioritise independence and may feel uncomfortable with emotional intimacy. They may have difficulty expressing their needs or relying on their partners for support. In extreme cases, they may avoid long-term commitments or frequently distance themselves emotionally from their partners.
resistant- relationships
overly dependent on their partners while simultaneously fearing abandonment. They may crave closeness and reassurance from their partners but also worry about rejection. This can lead to difficulties in relationships, such as being overly demanding or clingy, and experiencing heightened levels of jealousy or insecurity
research- doesn’t fully support
main and weston (1981)
found children behave differently depending on what parent they’re with- they concluded attachment style isn’t always constistant
said ainsworth conclusions from the ssc were flawed
research- supports
main 1985
tested babies at 18 months then again at 6 years old
100% of secure babies were still classified as secure
high test-retest reliability and checks for consistency over time
evalualtion- strengths (3)
main 1985
tested babies at 18 months then again at 6 years old
100% of secure babies were still classified as secure
high test-retest reliability and checks for consistency over time
simple and easy to understand
inter rater reliability (the extent to which different observers score the behaviour in a similar way) consistency was 0.94
evaluation- weaknesses (3)
(stat included to back up point- think countries)
main and weston (1981)
found children behave differently depending on what parent they’re with- they concluded attachment style isn’t always constistant
said ainsworth conclusions from the ssc were flawed
was conducted in the USA using american children meaning the test is culturally biased and cant be generalised globally due to cultural differences (china- 50% secure, 25% avoidant, resistant- 25%)
could come down to dispositions too (personality/characteristics of child)
who suggested the internal working model
bowlby
explain the iwm
states that early relationships act as a prototype for all future relationships- both social and emotional and based on the interactions we have (which have been kept as a permanent record), sensitivity of our caregivers and earliest experiences of caring, nurturing and emotional responses.
over time this becomes the tool we use to generate expectations about other relationships.
over time we use this to develop future relationships and our parenting skills in later life.
sensitive period relation to the iwm
once we are outside our sensitive period and more fully developed as a child bowlby believed that the iwm was fixed and very difficult to alter. some go as far as suggesting it cannot be reversed
study- strength
bailey et al
been found we are likely to raise our child like how we have been raised as our iwm was built due to our parents parenting style as a template- this is why attachment styles seem to be passed through generations of families
continuity hypothesis
the way a childs early relationships functioned will lead to the child having similar expectations about other relationships and serve as a template for their future relationships
study- limits findings of the iwm
rutter and quinton (1988)
a poor early start can be overcome by positive experiences at school and good adult relationships
what did hazan and shaver create
the love quiz
what were the findings of this
Positive correlation between attachment style and romantic relationship experiences.
Secure average rs: 10 years
resistant: 6 years
avoidant: 5 tears
what are 2 strengths
Credible and consistent evidence to support continuity hypothesis
Supported by longitudinal evidence
whats a limitation
Psychic determinism
Credible and consistent evidence to support continuity hypothesis study to support
Myron- Wilson and Smith (1998)
what was found
Secure- very unlikely to be involved in bullying resistant- most likely to be bully,
avoidant- more likely to be victim
what does this show
shows in terms of bullying, anxious individuals might engage in bullying behaviour as a way to assert control or seek attention, or they may be more likely to be involved in bullying due to their insecure emotional states, which can lead to difficulties in forming positive peer relationships.
can generalise idea
whast good about it being supported by longitudinal evidence
Ensures one time correlation isn’t present (measures the relationship between two variables at a single point in time).
who studied this
Simpson et al
what was found in study
pp studied at infancy, early childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Found that securely attached children were more expressive and emotionally available in romantic relationships.
what can be concluded from this
reduces memory distortions and subjective biases- can act as cofounding variables in other studies lowering validity leading to inaccurate conclusions.
why does it show psychic determinism
Suggests those who are insecurely attached are doomed when it comes to future rs. No free will when it comes to forming and maintaining them.
whats a study to support this
Rutter and Quinton (1988)
what did they find
a poor early start can be overcome by positive experiences at school and good adult relationships.
what can we conclude from this
More optimistic and flexible view- factors such as the environment should be taken into consideration.
Additionally, may be down to genetics- personality style may influence attachment style which Bowlby doesn’t consider.
