Influence of Early Attachments on Later Relationships

What affects how we form relationships later in life?

Internal Working Model

What is attachment type associated with in childhood?

Quality of peer relationships, friends and bullying.

What did Myron-Wilson & Smith find about attachment types and bullying?

• Insecure-resistant most likely to be bullies

• Insecure-avoidant most likely to get bullied

• Secure unlikely to be involved in any bullying

How do attachment types and IWM affect adult relationships?

Quality of adult friendships, romantic relationships, and relationships with your own children.

Hazan & Shaver’s Love Quiz

• Posted quiz in newspaper asking for responses

• 620 replies

• 3 parts: current relationships, general love experiences, and attachment type

Hazan & Shaver’s Love Quiz Findings

• 56% Secure, 25% Avoidant, 19% Resistant

• Secure had good and long-lasting relationships with positive views on love

• Insecure had negative views with Avoidant feeling jealous and fearful of intimacy

Strengths

• Research Support - Bailey, Hazan & Shaver, Myron-Wilson & Smith

Limitations

• Retrospectivity - lacks validity

• Confounding variables - other factors like personality and parenting style may effect future relationships