AO1

• Internal Working Model

  Our future relationships are modelled based on our attachment to our primary caregiver.
• The attachment theory suggests that attachment with parents affects out relationships with peers, which later affects romantic relationships.
• Simpson et al investigated the attachment theory through a longitudal study over 25 years with 78 participants. At 1 year, the parents reported on attachment behaviour. Between 6 and 8 years, teachers reported on peer relationships. At 16 they were asked about their close friendships and during adulthood, their romantic partners were asked to report on their experience. They found that those who were securely attached as infants had higher social competence in childhood, close friendships at 16 and more expressive and emotionally attached to romantic partners during adulthood.
• There are two theories that suggest how early attachments influences later relationships:

  • The attachment theory
  • The social learning theory
• Hazan & Shaver investigated the attachment theory by posting a 'love quiz' in a magazine and analysed 620 replies. The quiz had 3 sections. Section 1 assessed their current/most significant relationship. Section 2 asked about their general love experience. Section 3 assessed their attachment type. They found a correlation between having a secure attachment and strong romantic relationships.
• The social learning theory suggests that we learn through observing others behaviour and imitating it. This applies to to attachment as the attachments behaviour we observe is likely to be imitated.
• Parke stated that there is a continuity relationship between children's ability to make friends and whether its due to modelling parents behaviour. There is supporting evidence from Russel & Finnie who made an observation of Australian pre-school children in a new social environment. They found that popular children had mothers who encouraged them to play with others and taught them social skills, whereas neglected children's parents only taught them to play with toys.
• Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood. Securely attached infants form the best quality friendships, whereas insecurely attached infants struggle to do so.
• Myron-Wilson & Smith found that insecure-avoidant infants are most likely to be bullied, whereas insecure resistant children are likely to be bullies. This was gathered from a questionnaire of 196 children aged 7-11 from London.