Influence of Early Attachment on Child & Adult Relationships

Influence on Childhood Attachment (1):

Psychologists have been interested in seeing whether attachments made in infancy have an effect on relationships individuals have in childhood and as adults.
Continuity hypothesis sees children's attachment types being reflected in their later relationships.
Idea is based upon the internal working model, where an infant's primary attachment forms a template for future relationships, providing continuity between early attachment experiences and later relationships.
Research indicates that there IS continuity between early attachment styles and the quality f childhood relationships. Also, evidence suggests that children who form attachments with each other early in life will not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with each other.
Youngblade & Belsky (1992) found that 3-5 year old securely attached children were more curious, competent, empathetic, resilient and self-confident, got along better with other children and were more likely to form close friendships.
Mullis et al (1999) reported that in late childhood attachments that are made to peers reflect those made to parents in infancy.
Laible (2000) backed this up by finding that late childhood individuals transfer attachment behaviours learned in childhood to social situations and peer groups. Supporting idea of continuity from early attachments and the IWM.

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Westermarck (1891) reported that children who form close friendships in the first 6 years of life do not generally go on to form adult sexual relationships with each other, which suggests early attachments do affect childhood and adult relationships. Suggests it's an evolutionary anti-incest device that serves to stop related individuals breeding, as such relationships could lead to the birth of children with genetically transmitted disabilities.
Sherper (1971) examined 3,000 Israeli marriage records to find that no children reared together on a kibbutz got married to each other, which backs up Westermarck's findings and supports the idea that early attachments influence later relationships.
Attachments formed between infants and their carers have a large influence in determining the quality of subsequent chidhood relationships, with those forming secure attachments seeming to best profit in terms of developing posiive personal characteristics and social abilities.
Early attachment types can be seen to influence the development of individual differences in cognitive ability, emotional responses and social skills, all of which influence the quality of later childhood relationships.
Percieving the quality of later relationships as being caused solely by the quality of early attachments is somewhat deterministic. It's likely that other factors are influential too, like financial pressures or age differences between partners.

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Research indicates intergernerational continuity between aduts' attachment types and their children, including children adopting the parenting styles of their own parents.
Also appears to be continuity between early attachment styles and the quality of later adult relationships.
However, those who fail to achieve secure attachments in childhood are not necessarily condemned to a life of broken relationships, divorce and a cycle of inadequate parenting, as research indicates that it's possible for such individuals to develop secure adult relationships.
Should be noted thought that NOT ALL evidence supports the idea of continuity between early attachments and later relationships.
McCarthy (1999) assessed quality of adult relationships with 40 women aged 25-44 years with childhood insecure attachments. Women with insecure-avoidant attachments had less successful adult romantic relationships, while those with insecure-resistant attachments had problems forming non-romantic adult friendships. Supports idea of an IWM.
Kirkpatrick & Davis (1994) studied 300 dating couples for 3 years. Found those identified as having secure childhood attachments were more likely to have stable and satisfying relationships, supporting the idea of continuity from an IWM.

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Belsky (1999) reported that women with childhood secure attachments experienced less conflict with husbands on topics related to time spent together and household division of labour than insecurely attached women. Also more likely to handle conflict in mutually focused ways, explaining why less conflict in first place and why their relationships are mutually rewarding. Applied to both dating and married couples. Securely attached individuals were also more committed to relationships and felt greater love for thier partners, consistent with Hazan & Shaver's "secure" description of feelings about romantic relationships.
Brennan & Shaver (1995) found that individuals classified as insecure-avoidant were willing to engage in sex in the absence of strong feelings of love or an enduring relationship.
Hazan & Shaver (1994) found that such individuals were more likely to have one-night stands and sex outside established relationships and they preferred purely sexual contact e.g. oral and anal sex, to more emotionally intimate sexual contact such as kissing and cuddling. Supports the concept of IWM.
Kunce & Shaver (1994) found that women classified as having chidhood insecure-resistant attachments reported the highest levels of "compusive caregiving" i.e. they were most likely to agree with statements such as "I can't seem to stop from "mothering" my partner too much".

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Wood et al (2003) believes the quality of relationships results from the interaction of 2 people's attachment styles. Therefore insecurely attached people can have secue relationships if they are in relationships with securely attached people.
The IWM is not fully supported.
Steele et al (1998) found only a small correlation of 0.17 between having a secure attachment type in childhood and early adulthood.
Zimmerman et al (2000) found that attachment stye at 12-18 months of age did not predict the quality of later relationships, while life events experienced, such as parental divorce, had a much larger influence.
Hamilton (1994) found that securely attached children went on to have insecurely attached relatinships if they had experienced negative life events.
The temprament hypothesis sees the quality of adult relationships as being determined biologically from innate personality, suggesting that attempts todevelop better quality relationships by changing people's attachment styles to more positive ones wouldn't work.

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