The influence of Early attachment

Question 1

Hazan and Shaver (1987) - Study Design

Answer 1

Designed a study to test the internal working model. Placed a ‘Love quiz’ in the American Rocky Mountain News which examined current attachment experiences and attachment history. The questionnaire also asked about attitudes towards love to assess the internal working model.

Question 2

Hazan and Shaver (1987) - How many people responded?

Answer 2

620 people responded, 205 men and 415 women. There was a positive correlation between attachment type and love experiences. Securely attached adults described their love experiences as happy, friendly, and trusting. A relationship was found between the conception of love and the internal working model.

Question 3

4 Behaviours influenced by the internal working model

Answer 3

1) Childhood friendships: those classified as securely attached in infancy score highly for social competency later in childhood. 2) Poor parenting: Harlow’s research with monkeys demonstrated a link between poor attachment and difficulties with parenting, attachment type, and later relationships. 3) Romantic relationships: Hazan and Shaver found a link between early attachment and later relationships. 4) Mental health: The lack of attachment during the critical period can result in the lack of an internal working model and ‘attachment disorder.’

Question 4

One criticism of attachment research is that the research is correlational

Answer 4

E: One issue is that the research linking the internal working model with later relationship experiences is correlational, and a cause-and-effect relationship cannot be established. E: It is possible that the attachment style and later love styles are caused by another factor, such as the child’s temperament. L: This matters because researchers are unable to conclude that the internal working model determines later relationships, as other factors may cause the differences found.

Question 5

Another criticism of attachment research is the reliance on retrospective classification

Answer 5

E: Studies like Hazan and Shaver rely on adults answering questions about their early lives in order to assess infant attachment. E: Such recollections may be flawed, as our memories of the past are not always accurate, and parents may be inclined to lie (social desirability bias). L: This is because the research findings may not be valid, and therefore longitudinal studies may provide a more accurate representation of early attachment influences.

Question 6

A final criticism of attachment research comes from alternate explanations

Answer 6

E: Freeney (1999) suggests that adult attachment patterns may be properties of the relationship, rather than the individuals. E: For example, it is possible that the adult secure relationship causes the adult attachment type. L: This shows there is a possibility that another explanation can account for the findings in early attachment research, and the early theories may not be correct.

Question 7

What AO3 are you using for the influence of attachment?

Answer 7

The research is correlational, the reliance on retrospective classification, research comes from alternate explanations.