A03

• What are the strengths of the influences of early attachments on later relationships?

  1. Real-world application
  2. Abundance of research support
• What are the limitations of influences of early attachments on later relationships?

  1. Research is correlational
  2. Use of questionnaires and interviews
• Strength = real-world application

  • Understanding how early attachment influences adult relationships can be useful as it can lead to interventions for those with poorer quality relationships with parents
  • E.g. relationship counselling is available to help prevent issues with adult relationships -> research can lead to programmes that improve the life of those who may have had insecure attachments as a child
• Strength = abundance of research support

  • McCarthy (1999) wanted to see if there was a relationship between an infant’s attachment type and their adult relationships
  • They found that securely attached individuals had the best friendships and relationships
  • This increases the validity and reliability
  • HOWEVER - Zimmerman et al. (2000) longitudinal study of German children found infant attachment type was not a good predictor of attacgments in adolescence and that life events were more important
  • This suggests continuity may only apply when serious life events have not had an impact on the child
• Limitation = research is correlational

  • The research linking the internal working model/ early attachment with later relationship experiences is correlational rather than experimental - can’t claim that the relationship between early attachment and later love style is one of cause and effect
  • Could be possible that later love styles are caused by something different such as an infant’s temperament - this affects the way a parent responds
  • This may be a determining factor in infant attachment type
  • This means that researchers cannot confidently claim that the internal working model determines later relationships
• Limitation = use of questionnaires and interviews

  • Very few longitudinal studies
  • Instead most studies make use of interviews or questionnaires to assess attachment type - depends on the respondent being honest and having a realist view of their own relationships
  • Also requires them to be retrospective which may also lack validity as their memories may not be entirely accurate
  • HOWEVER - some longitudinal studies have shown results consistent with Hazan and Shaver
  • Simpson et al. (2007) found securely attached infants were rated as having higher social competence as children, were closer to friends at age 16 and were emotionally attached to their romantic partners in early adulthood