The Influence of Early Attachment on Later Relationships

Bowlby's theory predicts that early attachment experiences shape later relationships through the internal working model — a cognitive framework that influences how individuals perceive themselves, others, and close relationships throughout their lives. This lesson examines the evidence for and against this continuity hypothesis, focusing on the influence of early attachment on adult romantic relationships, parenting, and peer relationships.

Key Definition: The internal working model (IWM) is a mental representation of the attachment relationship formed in infancy. It includes a model of the self (as lovable or not), a model of others (as trustworthy or not), and a model of how relationships work. The IWM acts as a template for all future relationships.

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The Continuity Hypothesis

The continuity hypothesis states that early attachment type predicts later social and emotional behaviour. Securely attached infants are expected to grow into socially competent, emotionally resilient adults, while insecurely attached infants are expected to experience difficulties in later relationships.

This continuity is mediated by the internal working model. The IWM formed during the first relationship (with the primary attachment figure) acts as a schema that guides expectations, interpretations, and behaviour in subsequent relationships.

Early Attachment Type	Internal Working Model	Predicted Later Relationship Style
Secure (Type B)	Self: worthy of love. Others: reliable, responsive	Trusting, emotionally intimate, confident in relationships
Insecure-avoidant (Type A)	Self: self-reliant. Others: rejecting, distant	Difficulty with emotional closeness, avoidance of intimacy, self-sufficiency
Insecure-resistant (Type C)	Self: unworthy, uncertain. Others: inconsistent	Anxious, clingy, fear of abandonment, intense but unstable relationships

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Attachment and Adult Romantic Relationships

Hazan and Shaver's Love Quiz (1987)

Hazan and Shaver (1987) investigated the relationship between early attachment type and adult romantic love. They published a "Love Quiz" in a local newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News, asking readers to describe:

1. Their early relationship with their parents (to classify their childhood attachment type).
2. Their current or most significant romantic relationship (attitudes and experiences).

Procedure

Respondents chose one of three descriptions of their childhood attachment that corresponded to Ainsworth's attachment types:

• Secure: "I found it relatively easy to get close to my mother/caregiver."
• Avoidant: "My mother/caregiver was cool and distant."
• Resistant/Anxious: "My mother/caregiver was unpredictable — sometimes warm, sometimes cold."

They then described their adult romantic relationships using a similar set of descriptions.

Key Findings

Childhood Attachment	% of Sample	Adult Relationship Style
Secure	56%	Described relationships as trusting, happy, and supportive. Believed in lasting love. Relationships tended to last longer (average 10 years).
Avoidant	25%	Feared intimacy and closeness. Found it difficult to trust partners. Doubted the existence of lasting romantic love. Relationships were shorter (average 6 years).
Resistant/Anxious	19%	Described intense but volatile relationships. Experienced jealousy and fear of abandonment. Wanted extreme closeness that sometimes pushed partners away. Relationships were shortest (average 5 years).

Exam Tip: Hazan and Shaver's study is frequently examined. Be ready to describe both the method (Love Quiz in a newspaper) and the key finding (a correlation between childhood attachment and adult romantic relationship style). Remember — this is correlational, not causal.

Evaluation of Hazan and Shaver (1987)

Strengths:

• The study provided the first direct evidence for a link between childhood attachment type and adult romantic relationships, supporting Bowlby's continuity hypothesis and internal working model.
• Large sample size — 620 respondents provided substantial data.
• The questionnaire method is replicable and can be used cross-culturally.

Limitations:

• Self-report bias: Respondents may have given socially desirable answers or inaccurately recalled their childhood attachment experiences. Retrospective self-reports of early relationships are unreliable.
• Correlation, not causation: The study shows an association between childhood attachment and adult romance, but cannot prove that early attachment causes adult relationship style. Other factors (personality, life experiences, current circumstances) may be involved.
• Volunteer bias: The sample was self-selected (people who chose to complete a newspaper quiz), which may not be representative of the general population.
• Oversimplification: Attachment is classified into three discrete categories, whereas in reality, attachment may exist on a continuum.

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Attachment and Parenting: Intergenerational Transmission

One of the most important predictions of the internal working model is that attachment patterns are transmitted from one generation to the next. Parents who had secure attachments as children will develop a positive IWM, which will influence their parenting behaviour, making it more likely that their own children will also form secure attachments.

Evidence for Intergenerational Transmission

Bailey et al. (2007) studied 99 mothers with one-year-old infants in a predominantly working-class sample. The mothers' attachment histories were assessed, and the infants' attachment was classified using the Strange Situation. The study found that:

• Mothers who reported having poor quality attachments to their own parents were significantly more likely to have insecurely attached infants.
• Mothers with secure attachment histories tended to be more sensitive and responsive in their caregiving, which in turn promoted secure attachment in their infants.

This supports the idea that the IWM influences parenting behaviour, which influences the infant's attachment, creating an intergenerational cycle.

The Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation followed participants from infancy into their 30s. Researchers found that:

• Adults who had been securely attached as infants were rated as more competent and empathic in their interactions with their own children.
• There was a correlation between infant attachment classification and the attachment classification of the participant's own child, supporting intergenerational transmission.

Evaluation of Intergenerational Transmission Research