influence of early attachment

• internal working model

  • Bolwby suggested that a child having their first relationship with their primary attachment figure forms a mental representation of this relationship.
  • The internal working model acts as a template for future relationships.
  • those who have a reliable caregiver will use this as an expectation for future relationships
  • used to predict the behaviour of others in the future
• hazan and shaver

  • designed a study to test the internal working model
  • placed a ‘love quiz’ in a newspaper
  • it asked about attachment history and current attachment experiences to determine childhood attachment types
  • it also asked about attitudes to love
  • 620 responses ,205 men,415 women
• hazan and shaver findings

  • the self report of attachment history found that the prevalence of attachment types were similar to those in infancy
  • 56% secure
  • 25% avoidant
  • 19% resistant
  • there was a positive correlation between attachment type and love experiences.
  • securely attached adults described their love experiences as happy and trusting and their relationships were more enduring
  • securely attached individuals had a positive internal working model
• behaviours influence by internal working model

  • childhood friendships
  • poor parenting
  • romantic relationships
  • mental health
• childhood friendships

  individuals who were classed as securely attached had high social competence later in childhood e.g more popular,less isolated,more empathetic.This can be explained by the IWM as securely attached infants have higher expectations that others are friendly so would find it easier to form relationships.
• poor parenting

  Harlow’s research demonstrated this.Those who had poor attachment had later difficulties in parenting.The lack of an IWM means that individuals lack a reference point to consequently form relationships with others.
• romantic relationships

  Hazan and Shaver  suggested that there is a link between early attachment and later relationships,Individuals who were securely attached had longer lasting relationships.
• mental health

  lack of attachment during the critical period  would result in a lack of an IWM .Attachment disorder has been recognised and classed as a psychiatric condition in the DSM.