Infant capacities related to building internal working models of attachment figures: A theoretical and empirical review

Abstract

According to attachment theory (e.g., Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, 1980), infants develop cognitive models (termed internal working models, IWMs) of their attachment figures during the first year of life. Bowlby proposed his initial thinking about IWMs as more of an outline than a fully defined concept (Bretherton & Munholland, 2008). As such, considerable subsequent theoretical and empirical works have aimed to increase understanding of how IWMs operate (e.g., Bretherton & Munholland, 2008; Main, Kaplan, & Cassidy, 1985). To date, however, relatively little research has explored infant cognition with respect to the development of the IWM. In this review, we summarize the IWM concept as it applies to caregiver-specific attachment representations in infancy, review research examining cognitive capacities relevant to building these caregiver-specific representations, and provide directions for future research. We bridge social and cognitive developmental literatures and suggest ways in which researchers can continue to examine these representations. Both attachment researchers and social cognitive researchers can learn from each others' theoretical models and methodologies to understand development at the intersection of social, emotional, and cognitive development in infancy.