Internal working model

Internal working model

1. A form of template for future relationships, it forms expectations and a guide for behaviour. Therefore creating a consistency between early emotional experiences and later relationships.

2. Child who has a loving and reliable caregiver as his primary attachment will form an expectation that all relationships are loving and reliable. Conversely a child whose primary attachment invovles poor treatment will expect this treatment from others and treat others in this way too.

3. (Main et al.) found a positive correlation between the mother's attachment type as a child and their child's subsequent type with them

4. (Levitt) critisied the model as being too simple to view the quality of later relationships being dependent solely on the initial child-parent attachment. People bring all sorts of expectations to a relationship and have many experiences that are influential