early attachment

• outline the internal working model

  infant's first attachment provides a template for understanding future relationships
• outline the effect of a nurturing attachment on later relationships

  show secure attachment behaviours

  • likely to form healthy attachment relationships
• outline the effect of a negative attachment on later relationships

  show insecure avoidant or insecure resistant attachments

  • difficult to form functional relationships
• who studied the internal working model?

  hazan and shaver in 1987
• outline the procedure of hazan and shaver's study into the internal working model

  620 responses (205 men and 415 women)

  • designed a love quiz
  • assessment of the internal working around love, relationships and attachment experiences

  
  

  • measured attachment styles from childhood
  • adult attachment types
  • beliefs on love
• explain the findings of hazan and shaver's love quiz

  positive correlation between attachment style and romantic relationships

  • 56% were securely attached
  • 25% were insecure avoidant
  • 19% were insecure resistant
• outline the influence of early attachment on childhood relationships

  • securely attached infants form healthy and functional friendships
  • become more popular, empathetic and higher development of emotional and social skills
  • securely attached are unlikely to be involved in bullying
  • insecure avoidant are more likely to be victims of bullying
  • insecure resistant are more likely to be bullies
• outline the influence of early attachment on adult romantic and peer relationships

  securely attached infants form healthy long-lasting romantic relationships

  • adult women who were securely attached as infants replicated it in adulthood
  • insecure resistant infants found it difficult to maintain friendships
  • insecure avoidant infants had intimacy issues
• outline the influence of early attachment on parenting relationships

  • Harlow - link between poor attachment and poor parenting
  • women who were institutionalised had poorer social functioning and parenting difficulties
• outline the influence of early attachment on mental health

  lack of attachment during infancy and critical period leads to poor internal working model

  • leads to attachment disorder
  • lack of preferred attachment figure
  • inability to interact functionally
  • severe neglect
  • frequent change of caregivers
• strength - research support

  • simson et al
  • longitudinal study found that securely attached infants have positive social relationships
  • supports internal working model and continuity hypothesis
• weakness - other factors

  • correlational not causation
  • other factors like trauma and personality can influence relationships
  • lacks explanatory power
• weakness - self-report methods

  • hazan and shaver
  • retrospective questionnaires lead to inaccurate memories or social desirability bias
  • lacks validity