The influenceofearlyattachmentochildhood + adultrelationship

• Internal working model


  Consistency between early emotional experiences and later life
• Continuity hypothesis


  Link between the early attachment relationship and later emotional behaviours
• Securely attached children at age 3-5

  • More empathetic, resilient and self-confident than other children
  • More likely to form close friendships
• Secure attachment


  • Very unlikely to be involved in bullying
• Insecure - avoidant attachment


  • Most likely victims of bullying
• Insecure - resistant attachment


  • Most likely to be the bullies
• Hazan and Shaver (1987) - The love quiz


  1. Analysed 620 replies to a love quiz

  2. First section assessed current or most important relationships

  3. Second section assessed general love experiences

  4. Third section assessed attachment type
• Attachment types found


  • Secure = 66%
  • Insecure avoidant = 22%
  • Insecure resistant = 12%
• Attachment types found (Hazan and Shaver)

  • Secure = 56%
  • Insecure avoidant = 25%
  • Insecure resistant = 19%
• Secure attachment


  More likely to enjoy secure relationships as an adult, had trusting relationships and has satisfying relationships (ready for love)
• Insecure avoidant attachment


  Difficult to trust people in adult relationships (not ready for love)
• Insecure ambivalent/resistant attachment


  Anxious and find it difficult to get others as close to them as they wanted, tended to be possessive (over-ready for love)
• Strengths of the research

  • Provided an understanding of relationship between attachment theory and theories of romantic love
  • Results overall support the continuity hypothesis
• Weaknesses of the research

  • Data on infant relationships was retrospective and may be affected by ability to accurately recall
  • Reliance on individuals being able to provide an honest and realistic view of their relationship
  • Study measures the association between infant attachment and the quality of adult relationships, but cannot inform whether the quality of the adult relationship was caused by the infant attachment style