Influence of early attachment

Question 1

What is an internal working model?

Answer 1

A mental model providing individual with expectations about their relationships

Question 2

Who are the key researchers for this study?

Answer 2

Hazan and Shaver

Question 3

What was the aim of the study?

Answer 3

designed a study to test the internal working model. Wanted to find out if love in adulthood was directly related to attachment types type as a child

Question 4

What was the procedure of the study?

Answer 4

Researches placed a love quiz in a local newspaper asking questions about
1. Current attachment experience
2. Attachment history
3. The IWM was assessed by questions focusing on attitudes towards love
- they received 620 responses
- 205= men, 415= women

Question 5

What was the findings of the study?

Answer 5

• the prevalence of different types found were similar to that of infancy (56% secure, 25% avoidant, and 19% resistant)
• Positive correlation between attachment type and love experience

Question 6

What were the conclusions of the study?

Answer 6

• There is a relationship between the conception of love (IWM) and later attachment type
• Securely attached adults tended to have a positive working model

Question 7

What are the behaviours influence by the IWM?

Answer 7

• Poor parenting: Quinton: lack of IWM means that individuals lack a reference point to form relationships with children
• Mental health: lack of attachment in critical period means lack of IWM
• Romantic Relationships: securely attached means longer lasting relationships
• Childhood friendship: Minnesota child-parent study found continuity between early attachment and later emotional/social behaviour

Question 8

A03 - The study is correlational. This type of study looks at the relationship between the two variables

Answer 8

• The variables are not manipulated just measured
• It is possible that both attachment style and later love style are caused by something different
• Such as innate temperament (Kagan) An infants temperament affects the way parents respond may be determining factor
• Therefore we cannot claim the relationship between early attachment and for later love styles is one of cause and effect
• Cannot claim that the IWM determines relationship

Question 9

A03 - The study uses retrospective classification

Answer 9

• The procedure asks adults to remember information about their early lives
• When asked questions about early lives, recollection likely to be flawed
• Memories of our past lives are not always accurate
• However, longitudinal studies support Hazan and Shaver
• For example, Simpson et al’s found that ppts who were securely attached as infants were rated as having higher social competence as children and emotionally attached to their romantic partners in early childhood
• Longitudinal studies support the view that attachment type does predict relationships in adult life

Question 10

A03 - The research may be considered determinist

Answer 10

• Research by Hazan and Shaver suggests that very early experiences have a fixed effect on later adult relationship
• Children who are insecurely attached at one year of age are doomed to experience emotionally unsatisfactory relationships
• This is not the case, researchers have found plenty of instances where ppts have/were experiencing happy adult relationships despite not having a secure attachment
• As Simpson et al conclude, the research does not suggest that an individuals past unalterably determines the future course of their relationships’