Influence of Early Attachment

• what is the internal working model?

  • template of expectations like a schema, about how to relate to others formed by early experiences with the primary caregiver and the type of attachment formed
  • IWM of an infant is thought to predict the likely outcomes of behaviour in childhood and adulthood
• aim of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

  • a questionnaire, termed the 'Love Quiz', designed to test the IWM to assess if attachment type formed as an infant influences friendships and adult relationships
• method of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

  • 620 volunteer response
  • first section was designed to assess the individuals' most important relationship
  • second section focused on ascertaining general experiences in love
  • third part asked self-selecting participants about their feelings in relation to some statements
• results of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

  • found 56% respondents were classified as securely attached
  • 25% with an insecure-avoidant attachment type
  • 19% being insecure-resistant
• conclusions of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

  • findings analysed from the 'Love Quiz; indicate the specific attachment-type behaviours are reflected in adult romantic relationships because of an IWM formed in infancy to guide expectations
• limitation of influence of early attachments

  • An issue with research into the influence of attachment on later relationships and the role the internal working model must play in this is only correlational. Whilst an association has been found by many researchers indicating the quality of later relationships is heavily influenced by attachment type from infancy, this does not determine causality. This means that correlational research in this area is not very reliable due to an unstable array of results.
• limitations of influence of early attachment (2)

  • methodological issues: rely upon self-report from adult participants about their memories from infancy and childhood. Recollection from years gone by are likely to be impaired and any answers provided may lack accuracy due to deterioration which lowers the internal validity of findings. This problem is further compounded by the possibility that individuals may not report honestly or even have an insight into their own template of expectations since the internal working model in an unconscious framework.
• limitations of influence of early attachment (3)

  • Bowlby’s research suggests that the internal working model will influence several childhood/adulthood behaviours: friendships, parenting, romantic relationships and mental health. Consequently, Bowlby’s theory presents a deterministic view of behaviour which suggest that an infant’s early attachment experiences will have severe (negative) consequences on childhood/adulthood behaviours.
• limitations of influence of early attachment

  • Like much of research in the attachment topic, Bowlby’s theory puts forward a general theory of how early attachments affect later relationships; however, such early experiences are not universal and a negative experience for one infant might have very different outcomes to the negative experiences of another infant. Such considerations suggest that an idiographic approach, especially within these