Internal Working Model (IWM)

• • The IWM is a mental representation of a child’s primary attachment relationship:
• • Acts as a blueprint for future relationships.
• • A loving, reliable caregiver leads to positive expectations for future relationships.
• • Poor caregiving leads to expectations of negative relationships and potentially poor treatment of others.
• • Impact on Parenting:
  • A person’s IWM influences their own parenting behaviors, explaining intergenerational patterns of attachment quality.