The Influence on early attachment on later relationships

Question 1

What are the study’s on influence of early attachments on later relationships

And what relationships do they study

Answer 1

Hazan and shaver - Adulthood

Myron-Wilson and smith - Childhood

Question 2

What is the aim and procedure of Hazan and shavers studies

Answer 2

Aim : to test the association between early attachment and adult romantic relationships (testing continuity hypothesis)

Procedure: Analysed 620 responses to the ‘love quiz’ printed in an American newspaper (volunteer sample)
99 questions in 3 sections
1- current relationship (adulthood)
2- General love experiences (childhood)
3- Attachment type in infancy

Question 3

What is the internal working model and continuity hypothesis

Answer 3

Internal working model = Mental representation you have of relationships acts as a template for future relationships, formed from your attachment with the primary caregiver during the critical period

continuity hypothesis = - secure relationship with monotropy = secure infant
- Insecure relationship with monotropy = insecure infant (bad future relationships)

Question 4

What were the findings and conclusions of Hazan and shaver’s love quiz study

Answer 4

Findings =
- 56% secure = most likely to have longer lasting relationships
- 25% insecure avoidant = Fall in love easily but struggle to find true love
- 19% insecure resistant = Perceive love to be unnecessary for happiness
(Similar to Ainsworth’s strange situation)
Conclusion = Attachment type is reflected in romantic relationships (support for the internal working model)

Question 5

What was Myron-Wilson and Smith’s study and what did they find

Answer 5

Assessed attachment type and bulling involvement (Childhood attachments) using questionnaires . 196 aged between 7-11 from London

Findings =
- secure = Unlikely to be involved in bullying
- Insecure avoidant - More likely to be the victim (more alone???)
- Insecure resistant - More likely to be the bully

Question 6

What was Bailey et al study

Answer 6

Studied 99 mothers and their attachment to their mothers.

It was shown that the majority had the same attachment type with their children and their mother

Question 7

How would you evaluate the research into the influence of early attachment of later relationships

Answer 7

• Support for Bowlby’s internal working model
• Correlational study
• Studies of early attachment rely on retrospective classification
• Research has been criticised for being overly deterministic

Question 8

How would you evaluate the research into the influence of early attachment of later relationships
(Support for Bowlby’s internal working model)

Answer 8

• Whilst Bowlby proposed the theory of the internal working model he gave no evidence supporting it
• However in the studies in more recent years shows support for the internal working mode such as in Hazan and shavers study they concluded attachment type is reflected in later relationships

Question 9

How would you evaluate the research into the influence of early attachment of later relationships
(correlational study)

Answer 9

• Correlational data used in Hazan and Shaver plus other research cannot establish cause and effect as there could be other reasons such as personality type,(introverts may be more afraid to create relationships) earlier experiences of relationships such as cheating of domestic abuse etc.
• This gives these study’s poor internal validity so cannot be generalised

Question 10

How would you evaluate the research into the influence of early attachment of later relationships
(Studies of early attachment rely on retrospective classification)

Answer 10

• Self-report techniques can cause social desirability bias as people don’t want to look abnormal such as deviating from the social norms etc. This relies on participants being honest and having realistic views of their own relationships
• Also we can forget childhood memories due to interferences (proactive)
• Also our IWM are unconscious as we are not directly aware of their influence on us. Meaning self-report techniques cannot give valid data as we can only report on our conscious understandings of our earlier relationships.

Question 11

How would you evaluate the research into the influence of early attachment of later relationships
(Research has been criticised for being overly deterministic)

Answer 11

It can cause social sensitivity as research says the results are a fixed event and have effects on later adult life. It assumes all children who are insecurely attached are ‘doomed’ to experience emotionally unsatisfactory relationships #

However fortunately research have found this may not be the case as there are many instances were people experienced happy fulfilling relationships despite not being secure.