Influence Of Attachment On Later Relationships Flashcards
(17 cards)
What was the aim of Hazan and Shaver’s 1987 study?
To test internal working models by assessing current attachment experiences and identifying attachment types.
Attachment and later relationships
Internal working model can affect your relationships with romantic partners and also your relationship with your child as a parent.
What attachment went on to form the best quality friendships
Secure - Kerns 1994
What kind of attachment is likely to be involved in bullying?
Secure were very unlikely, insecure avoidants were most likely to be victims and insecure resistant the bullies.
McCarthy - 40 adult women studied (early and adult attachment)
40 adult women who had been assessed when they were infants to establish their early attachment type.
Those assessed as securely attached infants had the best adult friendships and romantic relationships.
Insecure-resistant = problems maintaining friendships
Insecure-avoidant= struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships.
What did the Love Quiz ask about?
current attachment experiences and about attachment history to identify current and childhood attachment types. The questionnaire also asked questions about attitudes towards love, an assessment of the internal working model.
How many responses did the love quiz get?
They analysed 620 responses, 205 from men and 415 from women, from a fair cross-section of the population.
What percentage of participants in Hazan and Shaver’s study were classified as secure, avoidant, and resistant? The Love Quiz
56% were secure, 25% avoidant (conflicting memories of mother being positive and rejecting, fall in love quickly but not true love), and 19% resistant (mother is cold and rejecting, love is not durable, fear of closeness).
What correlation did Hazan and Shaver find between attachment types and love experiences?
They found a positive correlation; securely attached individuals described love as happy, friendly, and trusting.
Bailey et al. 2007 - mothers and baby same attachment
Mother-baby attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation and mother-own mother attachment
was assessed using an adult attachment interview. The majority of women (out of 99) had the same attachment classification both to their babies and their own mothers.
What impact does a lack of internal working model have on parenting?
Individuals lacking an internal working model may struggle to form relationships with their own children.
Harlow’s research: attachment and parenting
Harlow’s research with monkeys also demonstrated a link between poor attachment and later difficulties with parenting.
What is the relationship between attachment styles and romantic relationships?
Securely attached individuals tend to have longer-lasting romantic relationships.
What mental health issues are associated with attachment disorders?
Children with attachment disorders may experience severe neglect and have difficulty interacting and relating to others.
AO3: Influence of early attachment - Conflicting evidence
Zimmerman’s study found little relationship between the quality of infant and adolescent attachment.
AO3: Influence of early attachment - Overly determinist
Research shows cases where individuals with happy adult relationships were not securely attached, indicating early experiences do not always have fixed effects.
AO3: Influence of early attachment - most studies have issues of validity
Most studies on attachment don’t use the Strange Situation. Instead, they use interviews or questionnaires done years later, not during infancy. This can be a problem because people might not remember things accurately, and self-reports aren’t always reliable
