early attachment: adult and child relationships

• The continuity hypothesis and the IWM:

  • Bowlby argued that the early relationships with our primary caregivers provide the basis for later adult relationships- an idea termed the 'continuity hypothesis'. According to attachment theory, the young child develops an internal working model (IWM) from their first relationship with their primary carer. This consists of a view of themselves as loveable or otherwise, a model of other people as basically trustworthy or not to be relied on, and a model of the relationship between the two.
• continuing continuity hypothesis and IWM:Young children also develop characteristic attachment styles in their early relationships which influence later relationships by providing the child with beliefs about themselves, other people and relationships in general. According to this theory the child who has a secure attachment should be more confident in friendships.
• Research on the early influence of attachment suggests the first ottachment made is a template for future relationships. The quality of a child's first attachment is crucial as it provides a template that will affect the nature of future relotionships. This is due to the internal Working Model created by Bowlby, If a child's first attachment is a good experience, they will have the assumption of how all relationships are meant to be and are more likely to have successful relationships later inlife.
• continuing research on early influence However if it's a bad experience they may struggle to form relationships and not know how to act within them.
• Hazan and Schaffer were researchers who analysed 650 replies to a love quiz printed in a newspoper. The quiz assessed three aspects of a relationship which were the respondents current and most important relationship, general love experiences and attachment type. They found that 56% of the participants were securely attached, 25% were insecure avoidant and 19% were insecure resistant. This showed secure were most likely to have longer lasting romantic relationships, but avoidant tended to be jealous.
• Research by Bailey (2007) found that most women had the same attachment classification both to their babies and their own mothers. Harlows monkeys showed a link between poor attachment and later difficulties with parenting because they had a lack of an internal working model.
• Verissimo et al (2011) assessed the impact of attachments with mothers and fathers on the formation of childhood friendships. They observed pre-school children aged 29- 38 months of age. 35 mother-child and father-child pairs from two-parent families participated. Prior to the research attachments with both parents were assessed using separate observations within the child's home. An attachment score was given based on this. Analysis showed a significant correlation between the attachment security with fathers and number of reciprocated friends.
• continuing Verissimo et al study:A secure attachment between child and father was a clear predictor of friendship regardless of the relationship between the preschool child and the mother. The implication is that quality of interaction between father and child is important for later social competence. This emphasises the importance of fathering.
• Research into the impact of attachment on childhood and adult relationships have very set views on the outcomes for future behaviour.For example, an infant with an insecure attachment type will be doomed to experience poor quality and unsatisfying relationships in later life as a result of the internal working model formed in infancy from bad experiences with their primary caregiver. This approach can be criticised as being overly deterministic suggesting that there is no room for an alternative path to unfold.
• Continuing weakness: set views on the outcomes for future behaviour Research has documented instances of individuals who have had a happy relationship in adulthood despite a troublesome start. This means that Bowlby may have overestimated the role of the internal working model.
• There are methodological issues with assessing attachment type retrospectively. Much research, such as the 'Love Quiz by Hazan and Shaver 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.
• Continuing weakness: methodological issues 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.
• There is mixed research in determining continuity of attachment type from childhood to adulthood. Zimmerman (2000) suggests that infant attachment type classification and the quality of relationships with parents during adolescence are not related. These findings do not support the role of the internal working model being important in the development of childhood and adult relationships, casting doubt on the emphasis placed on this concept by developmental psychologists such as Bowlby.
• 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 is does not determine causality.
• Continuing weakness: correlational research is not valid Fraley et al. (2002) found that the correlations were not always strong positive ones either, with correlation coefficients ranging from +.10 to +.50. This means that correlational research in this area is not valid due to an unstable array of results.