influence on later relationships

• Internal working model= making a mental representation of what a relationship is which we then use as a template for all other relationships. It also provides an insight into a caregivers behaviour
• One strength is strong research support. There are many studies showing a link between infant attachment type and later development including bullying, success in romance and parenting. A review by Fearon et al concluded that infant attachment influenced development in many ways. Disorganised attachment was most predictive (later mental disorder). This means that insecure attachment appears to convey a disadvantage for childrens development.
• One limitation is validity issues with retrospective studies. Most studies assess pp attachment type in adulthood using questionnaires and interviews. A further problem is that these studies assess attachment in late childhood or adulthood and assume that it has remained the same since infancy. This means that the measure of attachment may not be valid and that longitudinal studies may be more beneficial.
• A criticism is that the research linking internal working model with later relationships is correlational and fails to establish a cause and effect. A variety of studies imply that the infant attachment type is the cause for the attachment. But, it is possible that there are environmental factors such as parenting style that can attribute. This matters because researchers are unable to conclude that there is a reason that the internal working model influences later relationships. This means that correlational research is not very reliable.
• Smith et al assessed attachment type and bullying involvement using a questionnaire on 196 children in London. Secure children were not likely to be involved with bullying, while insecure avoidant children were the victims. The insecure resistant were most likely to be the bully.
• The continuity hypothesis sees childrens attachment types being reflected in their later relationships. The quality of the first attachment is essential as it has a large effect on the nature of the future relationships
• Sroufe et al conducted the Minnesota study (longitudinal) of pp from infancy to adolescence and found continuity between early attachment and social/emotional behaviour. Securely attached children were more popular in school than insecurely attached children. Since the securely attached child would of had a more positive experience with others in their childhood.
• The internal working model also influences parenting style, as it is based off personal experiences and attachments tend to be passed down. Bailey et al assessed 99 mothers with one year olds on the quality of attachment to their own mothers using a standard interview. They found that mothers with poor attachment to their own mother would have children classed with being poorly attached.