Influence of early attach on later relationships

• Outline the influence of early attachment on child relationships - positive internal working model

  Research has found that children who developed a secure attachment as an infant would develop healthier childhood friendships than children who

  developed an insecure attachment as an infant.

  This is because those who had a secure attachment would have developed a more positive internal working model so would expect and develop more healthy friendships.
• Outline the influence of early attachment on child relationships - questionnaire

  one piece of research involved instructing school children to complete a questionnaire about their parent's parenting style (to identify their attachment type) as well as to vote which of their peers were involved in bullying behaviours (to assess their childhood relationships). They found that those whose questionnaire responses indicated they had a secure attachment were very unlikely to be identified engaging in bullying behaviour.
• Outline the influence of early attachment on child relationships - questionnaire results

  Those whose questionnaire responses indicated they had an insecure-resistant attachment were likely to be identified by their peers as a bully. those whose questionnaire responses indicated they had an insecure-avoidant attachment were more likely to be identified as a victim of bullying, suggesting early attachments do influence childhood relationships.
• Limitation - influence of early attachment on childhood relationships - subjective data

  This is because the bullying study involved children being asked to talk about their parent's parenting style as well as which of their peers were more or less likely to engage in bullying behaviours. This Is a limitation because the research relies on the children being honest and having a realistic view of their parents and peers, which may not always be the case. questions credibility.
• Limitation - influence of early attach. on childhood relationships - based on correlational data

  This is because the bullying study involved looking at whether there was a relationship between the children's infanthood attachment and their bullying behaviours at school. This Is a limitation because correlational research cannot establish cause and effect.
• Limitation - influence of early attachment on childhood relationships - other factors such as temperament of child

  This is because if a child has a poor temperament, their caregiver may have been less sensitive to their needs (sodeveloped an insecure attachment). They may also still have this poor temperament as an older child so are more likely to be a bully. This means that it is their temperament rather than their attachment type that influenced their childhood relationships. Therefore questions credibility.
• Limit - influence of early attach on child relationships - too deterministic

  it is suggesting that if an infant developed an insecure attachment, they would grow up to be a bully or a victim of a bully. limitation - could have negative consequences e.g. on mothers blamed for their child's bullying behaviours due to not being sensitive enough when an infant. fails to address how later experiences can affect a child's type of friendships e.g. how a child with an insecure attachment might develop a healthy friendship with another child if that other child has a secure attachment. ? Cred
• Outline the influence of early attachment on adult relationships - healthier relations

  Research has found that adults who developed a secure attachment as an infant would develop healthier adult relationships than individuals who

  developed an insecure attachment as an infant.

  This is because those who had a secure attachment would have developed a more positive internal working model so would expect and develop more healthy adult relationships.
• Outline the influence of early attachment on adult relationships - research

  one piece of research involved asking participants to complete a 'love quiz' in a newspaper whereby they were asked about their current relationship, their general relationship experiences (e.g. the number of partners they have had) and their early infanthood experiences (to identify the type of attachment they formed with their caregiver). They found that those who were identified as having a secure attachment as an infant developed more stable and loving relationships and had the lowest rates of divorce.
• Outline the influence of early attachment on adult relationships - fear - romantic relationships

  those who were identified as having an insecure-resistant attachment developed relationships characterised by emotional highs and lows and

  tended to be quite obsessive and jealous. Finally, those identified as having an insecure-avoidant attachment tended to fear intimacy so would avoid romantic relationships. If they were in one, they would not be very affectionate. These had the highest rates of divorce.
• Limitation of research into the influence of early attachment on adult relationships - relies on subjective data

  This is because the love quiz study involved adults being asked about their relationship, prior love experiences and early infanthood experiences. This is a limitation because the research relies on the adults being honest and having a realistic view of their relationships. It also relies on them having an accurate recall of their infanthood which may have been difficult as it was a long time ago. Therefore questions credibility.
• Limitation of early attach on adult relations - based on correlational data

  This is because the love quiz study involved looking at whether there was a relationship between the adult's early infanthood attachment and their current love experiences. This is a limitation because correlational research cannot establish cause and effect. 
• Limitation of early attach on adult relations - based on correlational data - other factors played role - temperament of the adult

  if an adult had a poor temperament as a child, their caregiver may have been less sensitive to their needs (so developed an insecure attachment). They may also still have this poor temperament as an adult and so their love experiences are likely to be negative. This means that it is their temperament rather than their attachment type that has influenced their adult relationships. ? Cred
• Strength - SE

  Harlow’s research involving baby monkeys being raised in isolation with two surrogate mothers made out of wire or cloth found that the monkeys later grew up

  with social and emotional disturbances whereby they were less sociable, less likely to breed, and more aggressive. strength of research into the

  influence of early attachment on later relationships- shows how if an infant receives no stimulation or sensitivity from their caregiver i.e. have a poor/non-existent attachment, it can adversely affect their later relationships. 
• Problems - difficult to generalise the findings to humans - adult relationships

  monkeys in this study were regularly frightened with objects to see which surrogate mother they

  would run to. This could have caused trauma which could be the reason for their social disturbances rather than their poor early attachments. Therefore adds to the debate around the credibility of research into the influence of early attachment on later relationships.
• Too deterministic

  suggesting that if infant developed an insecure attachment they would grow up to experience negative adult relationships. limitation - could have negative consequences - on mothers blamed for their child's failed relationships due to not being sensitive enough when infant. fails to address how later experiences can affect an adult's relationships - an adult with insecure attachment might develop a healthy relationship with another adult if partner had a secure attachment/how an adult with a secure attachment might develop unhealthy relationships if were cheated in past.