THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY ATTACHMENTS ON LATER RELATIONSHIPS
~INTERNAL WORKING MODEL~
The quality of a baby’s first attachment is crucial because this template will affect the nature of their future relationships.
~RELATIONSHIPS IN CHILDHOOD~
Kerns:
Attachment type is associated with quality of peer relationships in childhood
Securely attached infants tend to form the best quality childhood friendships, whereas insecurely attached children tend to have friendship difficulties
Myron-Wilson & Smith:
Attachment type and bullying were assessed via questionnaires in 196 London children aged between 7-11
Secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying. Insecure-avoidant children were most likely to be victims, and insecure-resistant were most likely to be bullies themselves
~RELATIONSHIPS IN ADULTHOOD~
McCarthy:
40 adult women whose attachment type at infancy was assessed
Securely attached had the best adult friendships and romantic relationships
Insecure-avoidant struggled with intimacy and forming relationships
Insecure-resistant had issues maintaining friendships
Hazan & Shaver:
Analysed 630 replies to a ‘love quiz’ printed in a local newspaper
56% were securely attached and were likely to have good, lasting relationships
25% were insecure-avoidant and displayed jealously and fear of intimacy
High correlation between the infant attachment types and adult, romantic love styles
~RELATIONSHIPS AS A PARENT~
Bailey et al:
Looked at the attachment of women to their own babies and their own mother
Mother-baby attachment was assessed via the Strange Situation, and mother-own mother attachment was via an adult attachment interview
The majority of women had the same attachment classification both to their babies, and their own mothers
EVALUATION
Research Support
→ RESEARCH SUPPORT
One strength of the research into early attachments and later relationships is supporting evidence.
Reviews of evidence from studies linking attachment to later relationships have concluded that early attachment consistently predicts later attachment, emotional well-being and attachment to their own children.
How strong that relationship is between attachment type & later development depends both on the attachment type and the aspect of later development.
This gives the findings good external validity and reliability.
However, not all evidence supports the existence of close links between early attachment and later development.
For example, a longitudinal study followed 43 individuals from one year of age. At age 16, attachment was assessed using the adult attachment interview and found that there was no evidence of continuity as they grew older.
This means that it is not clear to what extent the quality of early attachment really predicts later development. It could be argued that other factors may be strongly influential in their later development.
Conflicting Evidence
→ VALIDITY ISSUES WITH RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES
One limitation of most research into the influence of attachment is that early attachment is assessed retrospectively.
Most research on the link between early attachment and later development is not longitudinal. Instead researchers usually ask adult participants questions about their relationship with their parents and identify their attachment types from this.
This makes it hard to know if early attachment is being assessed, or in fact adult attachment.
This means that the measures of early attachment used in most studies may be confounded with other factors making them meaningless.
→ CONFOUNDING VARIABLES
Another limitation of studies into the influence of early attachment on later development is the existence of confounding variables.
Lots of studies have validity problems because associations between attachment quality and later development may be affected by confounding variables.
For example parenting style may influence both attachment quality and later development.
This means we can never be entirely sure that it is early attachment and not some other factor that is influencing later development. Therefore, this results in a lack of internal validity.
~INTERNAL WORKING MODEL~
The quality of a baby’s first attachment is crucial because this template will affect the nature of their future relationships.
~RELATIONSHIPS IN CHILDHOOD~
Kerns:
Attachment type is associated with quality of peer relationships in childhood
Securely attached infants tend to form the best quality childhood friendships, whereas insecurely attached children tend to have friendship difficulties
Myron-Wilson & Smith:
Attachment type and bullying were assessed via questionnaires in 196 London children aged between 7-11
Secure children were very unlikely to be involved in bullying. Insecure-avoidant children were most likely to be victims, and insecure-resistant were most likely to be bullies themselves
~RELATIONSHIPS IN ADULTHOOD~
McCarthy:
40 adult women whose attachment type at infancy was assessed
Securely attached had the best adult friendships and romantic relationships
Insecure-avoidant struggled with intimacy and forming relationships
Insecure-resistant had issues maintaining friendships
Hazan & Shaver:
Analysed 630 replies to a ‘love quiz’ printed in a local newspaper
56% were securely attached and were likely to have good, lasting relationships
25% were insecure-avoidant and displayed jealously and fear of intimacy
High correlation between the infant attachment types and adult, romantic love styles
~RELATIONSHIPS AS A PARENT~
Bailey et al:
Looked at the attachment of women to their own babies and their own mother
Mother-baby attachment was assessed via the Strange Situation, and mother-own mother attachment was via an adult attachment interview
The majority of women had the same attachment classification both to their babies, and their own mothers
EVALUATION
Research Support
→ RESEARCH SUPPORT
One strength of the research into early attachments and later relationships is supporting evidence.
Reviews of evidence from studies linking attachment to later relationships have concluded that early attachment consistently predicts later attachment, emotional well-being and attachment to their own children.
How strong that relationship is between attachment type & later development depends both on the attachment type and the aspect of later development.
This gives the findings good external validity and reliability.
However, not all evidence supports the existence of close links between early attachment and later development.
For example, a longitudinal study followed 43 individuals from one year of age. At age 16, attachment was assessed using the adult attachment interview and found that there was no evidence of continuity as they grew older.
This means that it is not clear to what extent the quality of early attachment really predicts later development. It could be argued that other factors may be strongly influential in their later development.
Conflicting Evidence
→ VALIDITY ISSUES WITH RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES
One limitation of most research into the influence of attachment is that early attachment is assessed retrospectively.
Most research on the link between early attachment and later development is not longitudinal. Instead researchers usually ask adult participants questions about their relationship with their parents and identify their attachment types from this.
This makes it hard to know if early attachment is being assessed, or in fact adult attachment.
This means that the measures of early attachment used in most studies may be confounded with other factors making them meaningless.
→ CONFOUNDING VARIABLES
Another limitation of studies into the influence of early attachment on later development is the existence of confounding variables.
Lots of studies have validity problems because associations between attachment quality and later development may be affected by confounding variables.
For example parenting style may influence both attachment quality and later development.
This means we can never be entirely sure that it is early attachment and not some other factor that is influencing later development. Therefore, this results in a lack of internal validity.
