Outline And Evaluate The Influence Of Early Attachment In Attachment
Para 1:
Bowlby suggested that early attachments have lifelong consequences
The key to this is Bowlby’s concept of the internal working model - a mental representation
of a relationship with a primary caregiver. This model acts as a template of how relationships
should be and the child’s future adult (romantic and success as a parent) and childhood
(friendships) relationships will be based on their early attachment relationship
CONTINUITY HYPOTHESIS:
Bowlby proposed that the quality of an infant’s primary attachment would have an impact on
the quality of later relationships. For example,
• A child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend
to assume that this is how relationships are meant to be - they will seek out functional
relationships and behave functionally within them
• A child with bad experiences with their first attachment will bring these bad experiences to
bear on later relationships, ie they may struggle to form relationships in the first place, or
they may not behave appropriately if they have them
Para 2:
Influence of attachment on childhood relationships:
- Youngblade and Belsky found that 3-5year olds who were securely attached were more
curious, competent and self confident and got along better with other children and were more
likely to form strong friendships
• Myron-Wilson and Smith found that bullying behaviour could be predicted by attachment
type. Securely attached children were unlikely to be involved in bullying. Insecure
avoidant were most likely to be victims of bullying while insecure resistant were more
likely to be bullies
Para 3:
Influence of attachment on adult relationships:
• Hazan and Shaver’s study aimed to see if early attachment types would influence adult
romantic relationships
• Procedure: a love quiz was printed in a local newspaper - the quiz asked questions about
attitudes towards love relationships, including current relationship experiences / status and
childhood relationships with parents to identify childhood attachment type.
• They analysed 620 replies to the love quiz (205 men, 415 women)
• Findings: the percentages of adults in different attachment types a, b and c matched those
of children in Ainsworth’s strange situation studies. They also found a positive correlation
between attachment type and love / relationship experiences - links with Ainsworth’s
attachment types as:
Secure (B) = easier getting close to others, depending on others, don't worry about
abandonment or people getting too close
Insecure Avoidant (A) = difficult to depend on others, don't want to be as intimate as others
want, uncomfortable being close to others, hard to trust others, nervous when anyone gets
close
Para 1:
Bowlby suggested that early attachments have lifelong consequences
The key to this is Bowlby’s concept of the internal working model - a mental representation
of a relationship with a primary caregiver. This model acts as a template of how relationships
should be and the child’s future adult (romantic and success as a parent) and childhood
(friendships) relationships will be based on their early attachment relationship
CONTINUITY HYPOTHESIS:
Bowlby proposed that the quality of an infant’s primary attachment would have an impact on
the quality of later relationships. For example,
• A child whose first experience is of a loving relationship with a reliable caregiver will tend
to assume that this is how relationships are meant to be - they will seek out functional
relationships and behave functionally within them
• A child with bad experiences with their first attachment will bring these bad experiences to
bear on later relationships, ie they may struggle to form relationships in the first place, or
they may not behave appropriately if they have them
Para 2:
Influence of attachment on childhood relationships:
- Youngblade and Belsky found that 3-5year olds who were securely attached were more
curious, competent and self confident and got along better with other children and were more
likely to form strong friendships
• Myron-Wilson and Smith found that bullying behaviour could be predicted by attachment
type. Securely attached children were unlikely to be involved in bullying. Insecure
avoidant were most likely to be victims of bullying while insecure resistant were more
likely to be bullies
Para 3:
Influence of attachment on adult relationships:
• Hazan and Shaver’s study aimed to see if early attachment types would influence adult
romantic relationships
• Procedure: a love quiz was printed in a local newspaper - the quiz asked questions about
attitudes towards love relationships, including current relationship experiences / status and
childhood relationships with parents to identify childhood attachment type.
• They analysed 620 replies to the love quiz (205 men, 415 women)
• Findings: the percentages of adults in different attachment types a, b and c matched those
of children in Ainsworth’s strange situation studies. They also found a positive correlation
between attachment type and love / relationship experiences - links with Ainsworth’s
attachment types as:
Secure (B) = easier getting close to others, depending on others, don't worry about
abandonment or people getting too close
Insecure Avoidant (A) = difficult to depend on others, don't want to be as intimate as others
want, uncomfortable being close to others, hard to trust others, nervous when anyone gets
close
