attachment -> influence of early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

Who proposed the internal working model?

Answer 1

John Bowlby (1969)

Question 2

What is the internal working model?

Answer 2

• a mental representation of relationships, formed from a child’s attachment with their primary caregiver during the critical period
• The internal working model acts as a template for future relationships

Question 3

How can a baby develop a secure attachment?

Answer 3

An infant who has experienced sensitive responsiveness from their caregiver will likely form a secure attachment and come to expect functional, reliable and loving relationships in the future
- will seek out functional relationships and behave functionally within them

Question 4

Who forms the best quality childhood friendships and who doesn’t?

Answer 4

• Securely attached babies
• Insecurely attached babies later have friendship difficulties
• Kerns (1944)

Question 5

Who did research into the influence of attachment type on bullying behaviour?

Answer 5

Wilson and Smith (1998)
- used standard questionnaires in 196 children aged 7-11 from London

Question 6

How are each attachment type involved in bullying?

Answer 6

• Secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying
• Insecure-avoidant children were most likely to be victims
• Insecure-resistant children were most likely to be bullies

Question 7

What adult experiences do internal working models affect?

Answer 7

Romantic relationships and parental relationships with your own children

Question 8

Who studied romantic relationships in adulthood?

Answer 8

Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Question 9

What was the aim of Hazan and Shaver’s study?

Answer 9

A questionnaire termed the ‘Love Quiz’ designed to test the internal working model to assess if attachment type formed as an infant influences friendships and adult relationships

Question 10

What was the procedure of Hazan and Shaver’s study?

Answer 10

• The ‘Love Quiz’ comprising of three sections, was published in a local American newspaper and received 620 volunteer responses
• First section was designed to assess the individual’s most important relationship
• Second section focused on ascertaining general experiences in love
• Third part asked self-selecting participants about their feelings in relation to some statements

Question 11

What were the findings of Hazan and Shaver’s study?

Answer 11

• 56% of respondents were securely attached
• 25% with an insecure avoidant attachment
• 19% as insecure-resistant
• secure attachments in childhood being most likely to have loving and lasting romantic relationship
  Insecure-avoidant more likely to report feelings of dislike in relation to intimacy
• individuals with an insecure-resistant attachment type were more likely to have shorter relationships, approx 6 years, compared to secure respondents (averaged 10 years)

Question 12

What are the conclusions of Hazan and Shaver’s study?

Answer 12

Specific attachment type behaviours are reflected in adult romantic relationships because of an internal working model formed in infancy to guide expectations

Question 13

Who did research into parental relationships in adulthood?

Answer 13

Bailey et.al (2007)

Question 14

How does early attachment impact parenting?

Answer 14

As a result of parenting styles being based on personal experiences and expectations of the internal working model, attachment type tends to be passed down through the generations of a family

Question 15

How did Bailey et.al study parental relationships?

Answer 15

Looked at the attachment type of nearly 100 mothers and their infants (assessed in the Strange Situation) with the relationships they had with their own mothers (est in an interview)

Question 16

What did Bailey et.al find?

Answer 16

The majority of women had the same attachment type to their infant as their own mother, supporting the concept of the internal working model influencing parenting style