The Influence of Early Attachment

Question 1

What did Bowlby say about the influence of early attachment on childhood and adult relationships?

Answer 1

Bowlby suggested that there will be continuity (a similarity or connection) between your experiences as a baby/your attachment type or quality, and your relationships later in life (in childhood and adulthood).

Question 2

What did Bowlby say ‘forms’ when we have our first main attachments?

Answer 2

we form an internal working model

Question 3

What is an internal working model?

Answer 3

a mental template for what a relationship is and how to behave

Question 4

What is a monotropic attachment?

Answer 4

the idea that the one relationship that the infant has with his/her primary attachment figure is of special significance in emotional development

Question 5

Why is the quality of a child’s first attachment crucial?

Answer 5

because this template will powerfully affect the nature of their future relationships (the internal working model)

Question 6

What is the impact of a secure attachment on friendships and relationships?

Answer 6

• lasts on an average of 10yrs
• functional and happy freindships
• best quality friendships (Kerns)
• happy and trusting (Hazer and Shaver)
• emotional intimacy; ‘open up’ more

Question 7

What is the impact of an insecure resistant attachment on friendships and relationships?

Answer 7

• lasts on an average of 6yrs
• problems maintaining friendships
• controlling, jealous
• most likely to be bullies (Smith, 1998)

Question 8

What is the impact of an insecure avoidant attachment on friendships and relationships?

Answer 8

• struggle to form friendships
• inappropriate friendship behaviors
• victims of bullying
• distant, uninvolved

Question 9

What was the aim of Hazan and Shaver’s experiment?

Answer 9

to see if there was a correlation between the infant’s attachment type and their future approach to romantic relationships

Question 10

Outline the procedure of Hazan and Shaver’s experiment?

Answer 10

1. put a ‘Love Quiz’ in the newspaper.

2. collected answers from responders

Question 11

What did H&S’s love quiz include?

Answer 11

Quiz asked questions about current attachment experiences and about attachment history to identify current and childhood attachment types.

The questionnaire also asked about attitudes towards love, an assessment of the internal working model

Question 12

Describe the findings of H&S’s love quiz

Answer 12

56% of respondents were identified as securely attached, 25% insecure-avoidant, and 19% insecure-resistant.

Those reporting secure attachments were the most likely to have good and longer-lasting relationships. The avoidant responses tended to reveal jealousy and fear of intimacy.

Question 13

What was the conclusion of H&S’s love quiz?

Answer 13

These findings suggest that the patterns of attachment behaviour are reflected in romantic relationships, and therefore supports Bowlby’s concept of the internal working model

Question 14

What are the 5 evaluation points for the influence of early attachment on later relationships?

Answer 14

1. research is correlational
2. retrospective classification
3. RESEARCH SUPPORT - STRENGTH
4. SUPPORTS OTHER IDEAS REGARDING RELATIONSHIPS
5. DETERMINISIC & REDUCTIONIST

Question 15

What is the PEEL paragraph for the influence of early attachment on later relationships evaluation point; research is correlational

Answer 15

P - the research linking the internal working model/early attachment with later relationship experiences is correlational rather than experimental
E - therefore we can’t claim that the relationship between attachment and, for example, later love styles is one of cause and effect
E - it is possible that both attachment style and later love styles are caused by something different - such as innate temperament affects the way a parent responds and thus may be a determining factor in infant attachment type. The individual’s temperament may explain their issues (good or bad) with relationships later in life
L - this means that researchers cannot claim that the internal working model determines later relationships. In this case, temperament is an intervening variable

Question 16

What is the PEEL paragraph for the influence of early attachment on later relationships evaluation point; retrospective classification

Answer 16

P - a criticism of studies of early attachment (e.g. Hazan and Shaver) is that they rely on retrospective classification
E - when adults are asked questions about their lives in order to assess infant attachment, their recollections are likely to be flawed. This is because our memories of the past are not always accurate.
E - however, longitudinal studies also support Hazan and Shaver’s findings. For example, an ongoing longitudinal study (Simpson et al, 2007) found that participants who were securely attached as infants were rated as having higher social competence as children, were closer to their friends at age 16, and were more expressive and emotionally attached to their romantic partners in early adulthood
L - these longitudinal studies support the view that attachment type doe predict relationship in adult life and may offer a more accurate representation of early attachment influences

Question 17

RESEARCH SUPPORT - STRENGTH

Answer 17

One strength of research into the influence of early attachments on later relationships is that there is supporting evidence from Gerad Mcarthy’s study. He studies 40 adult women who had been accessed when they were infants to establish their early attachment type. Those who were securely attached as infants had the best adult friendships and romantic relationships. Adults classed as insecure-resistant as infants had issues maintaining friendships and those who were classed as insecure-avoidant struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships. Therefore this suggests the internal working model is correct and increases its reliability and power.

Question 18

SUPPORTS OTHER IDEAS REGARDING RELATIONSHIPS - STRENGTH

Answer 18

P = Hazan and Shaver supported the idea that the quality/type of early attachments have a
significant impact on our ability as adults to form attachments.
E = Hazan and Shaver found that those who were securely attached as children had happier
and longer lasting relationships, and those who were insecurely attached had more divorces
and tended to believe love was rare.
E = This supports the idea that childhood experiences have significant impact on people’s
attitude toward later relationships.

Question 19

DETERMINISIC & REDUCTIONIST

Answer 19

P = It is reductionist and deterministic, due to suggesting that the influence of early attachments
is deterministic, so a poor-quality attachment inevitably means that the individual will become
bad parents themselves and be unable to form ‘normal’ romantic relationships and friendships in
adulthood.
E = it suggests that insecurely attached infants are doomed to grow up and have bad adult
relationships, when this is of course not true.
E = There are many cases of insecurely attached children growing to have strong happy
relationships.