later relationships

• Bowlby proposed that the internal working model is a blueprint for future relationships
• The quality of a child’s early attachment is crucial as this can affect the nature of future relationships
• Kerns (1994): peer relationships in childhood.

  Demonstrated attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood. Securely attached formed best quality childhood friendships. Insecurely attached infants later have friendship difficulty
• Myron-Wilson and Smith (1998): bullying.

  Demonstrated bullying behaviour can be predicted by attachment type. Assessed attachment type and bullying involvement using standard questionnaires with 196 children 7-11 years old. Secure, unlikely to be involved. Insecure-avoidant were most likely to be victims and insecure-resistant were most likely to be the bullies
• McCarthy (1999): friendship and romantic relationships

  Demonstrated early attachment affects adult relationships. 

  40 adult women who had been assessed when they were infants. Securely attached had the best adult relationships. Insecure-Avoidant struggled with intimacy in romantic relationships and insecure-Resistant had problems maintaining friendships.
• Bailey et al (2007): parenting

  Internal working models affect parenting styles, so attachment type is passed down through families. 99 mothers study
• Hazan and Shaver (1987) conducted the ‘love quiz’ which involved analysing 620 replies to the quiz which was printed in a local American newspaper.
• The love quiz had 3 sections, assessing the respondents current or most important relationship, general love experiences and attachment types by asking respondents to choose which statements best described their feelings.
• The love quiz found 56% were securely attached, 25% insecure-avoidant and 19% were insecure-resistant. Those with secure attachments were most likely to have good and long lasting romantic experiences whereas those with insecure-avoidant reported feelings of jealousy and fear of intimacy
• The love quiz has a large sample. However, as this study was conducted in America, the study demonstrates cultural bias and the research is ethnocentric
• Hazan and Shaver used a self-report technique for their study which gathers large amounts of data quickly. Some psychologists may criticise their method as pps gave their own answers to the quiz questions and in some cases may have answered dishonestly in order to be seen in a better light. Social desirability bias may decrease the internal validity of the findings.