Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships

Question 1

What did Kerns find? (Childhood relationships)

Answer 1

Children who were securely attached had better quality friendships and children who were insecurely attached had more friendship difficulties

Question 2

What did Sroufe find? (Childhood relationships)

Answer 2

Children who were securely attached were less isolated, more popular, and more empathetic

Question 3

What did Myron-Wilson & Smith find? (Childhood relationships)

Answer 3

Children who were securely attached tended to not be involved in bullying, children who were insecure-avoidant tended to be victims of bullying, and children who were insecure-resistant tended to be bullies

Question 4

What did Hasan and Shaver find? (Adult relationships)
How did they investigate this?

Answer 4

Those who were securely attached as children had happier, more positive and trusting relationships whereas those who had insecure-avoidant attachments revealed more jealousy and fear of intimacy; there was also a positive correlation between the internal working model and attachment type (secure attachment = positive IWM)
Used a love quiz where 650 men and women answered questions about their previous relationship experiences and their attachment types as children

Question 5

What did McCarthy find? (Adult relationships)

Answer 5

Those who were securely attached as children had the best friendships and romantic relationships, those with insecure-resistant attachments had trouble maintaining friendships, and those who had insecure-avoidant attachments had problems with intimacy in relationships

Question 6

What did Bailey et al find? (Adult relationships)

Answer 6

Women tended to have the same attachment types as their own babies but also as their mothers

Question 7

What is a strength into the influence of early attachments on later relationships?

Answer 7

There is lots of supportive evidence

Question 8

What are 3 weaknesses into the influence of early attachments on later relationships?

Answer 8

1. It is determinist and does not acknowledge the influence that free will may have on our relationships (says it is all from our childhood attachment)
2. Most of the research is correlational so there are no causal relationships to prove our attachment types definitely affect our relationships
3. There is the third variable of the infant’s temperament which may make them more trusting and happy which will make them more likely to be securely attached had