Influence of early attachment

Question 1

How does early attachment effect childhood friendships in securely attached infants?

Answer 1

• Securely attached infants form best quality friendships.
• Rated highest for social competence later in childhood, were less isolated, more popular and more empathetic.

Question 2

How does early attachment effect childhood friendships in insecurely attached infants?

Answer 2

• insecure-avoidant infants most likely to be bullied
• insecure-resistant infants most likely to be bullies

Question 3

Outline Mcarthy’s study on attachment type influencing later relationships.

Answer 3

• Studied 40 adult women who’d been assessed as infants to establish early attachment type.
• Securely attached infants - best adult friendships/relationships.
• Insecure-resistant - problems maintaining friendships
• Insecure-avoidant - struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships.

Question 4

Outline Hazan and Shaver’s study (1987) on how early attachment influences romantic relationships.
(Love quiz in American paper)

Answer 4

• Analysed 620 replies to ‘love quiz’.
• 56% securely attached, 25% insecure-avoidant,19% insecure-resistant.
• Positive correlation between attachment type & love experiences.
• Secure attachments - most likely to have good, long lasting romantic experiences.
• Insecure-avoidant - showed jealousy & fear of intimacy.
• Insecure-resistant - fall in love easily but find it difficult to find true love.

Question 5

How does early attachment impact parenting?
Bailey et al (2007)

Answer 5

• Looked at attachments of 99 mothers to
  their babies and to their own mothers. - Mother-infant attachment assessed using Strange Situation
• mother-own mother attachment assessed using adult attachment interview.
• Majority of women had same attachment type as their babies and own mothers.
• Shows attachment type tends to be
  passed through generations of family (base parenting on internal working model).