The effect of early attachment on later attachment

Question 1

Outline what an internal working model is.

Answer 1

• a infants first relationship with their primary attachment figure leads to a mental representation of this relationship and acting as a template for future adult relationships and parenting

Question 2

What do insecure relationships end up being like due to the internal working model?

Answer 2

• secure attachments lead to secure attached relationships
• insecure resistant attachments lead to controlling and argumentative relationships
• insecure avoidant attachments lead to emotionally close and uninvolved

Question 3

How do relationships in childhood affect attachment types

Answer 3

• securely attached babies go on to form better quality childhood friendships and are less likely to be involved in bullying. (kerns)
• insecure attached have friendship difficulties

Question 4

Describe Myron - Wilson and Smiths research.

Answer 4

• 196 children aged 7-11 and asked questions based on bullying involvement and assessed attachment types
• Found that secure attached are less likely to be involved in bullying
• insecure resistant attachments are likely to be bullies
• insecure avoidant attachments are likely to be bullied

Question 5

Outline Hazan and Shavers research.

Answer 5

• Love quiz
• 620 participants
• had three sections of the love quiz
• 1. Assessed most important relationship or current relationship
• 2. Assessed how many relationships they have had
• 3. Assessed their attachment type

Question 6

Describe the proportions of attachment types and findings of the love quiz.

Answer 6

• 56% securely attached
• 25% insecure avoidant
• 19% insecure resistant
• Found that secure had better quality and long lasting relationships
• Insecure avoidant had issues with intimacy and jealousy

Question 7

Describe research into the influence of adult relationships.

Answer 7

• Bailey et al = 99 mothers study. assessed the attachment type of 1 year old babies and their mothers attachments to their parents
• McCarthy followed 40 women who had their attachments assessed at a young age. They found that women who were assessed as securely attached had longer lasting relationships.
• Insecurely resistant attachments had difficulty maintaining friendships
• insecure avoidant struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships

Question 8

Give a strength (RS)

Answer 8

• A strength of the research into attachment and later relationships
• there are studies linking attachments to later development.
• Fearon and Roisman concluded that early attachment predicts later attachment, emotional well being and attachment to children
• insecure avoidant = conveys mild disadvantages
• disorganised = strongly associated with mental disorders

Question 9

What is a counterpoint to Fearon and Roismans research?

Answer 9

• Regensburg longitudinal study followed 43 individuals from one year of age. At 16, attachment was assessed using adult attachment interview and found no evidence of continuity
• Not clear to what extent the quality of early attachment really predicts later development

Question 10

What is a limitation? (R)

Answer 10

• Early attachment was assessed retrospectively
• Most research on the influence of early attachment and later development is not longitudinal.
• instead, researchers ask adolescents or adult participants question relationships with parents and identify attachment types from this
• This decreases validity as:
  1. relies on honesty and accurate perception
  2. hard to know if early or adult attachment is being assessed
• This means that measures of early attachment can be confounded with other factors

Question 11

What is another limitation? (CV)

Answer 11

• There may be confounding variables
• For example, associations between attachment quality and later development may be affected by confounding variables like parenting style which may affect later development and attachment quality
• additionally, genetic influenced personality may influence later development