Internal Working Model
|
|
|---|---|
| Full Name | Internal Working Model of Attachment |
| Core Characteristics | Implicit beliefs about the self, others, and the reliability of relationships |
| Origin | Develops in early childhood based on caregiving experiences |
| Primary Functions | Guides emotional regulation, trust, intimacy, and relational behavior |
| Influence in Adulthood | Shapes attachment style, expectations in romantic and social relationships |
| Associated Traits | Stability, self-perception, trust in others, emotional patterns |
| Contrasts With | Attachment insecurity, maladaptive schemas, fixed relational scripts |
| Associated Disciplines | Attachment theory, developmental psychology, psychotherapy |
| Clinical Relevance | Distorted internal models can lead to anxiety, avoidance, and relational dysfunction |
| Sources: Bowlby (1969, 1988), Bretherton (1990), Main et al. (1985), Mikulincer & Shaver (2007) | |
Other Names
Attachment schema, relational blueprint, attachment template, internal attachment map, cognitive-affective model of attachment
Historical Context
The concept of the internal working model originated within the foundational writings of John Bowlby in the mid-20th century and has undergone substantial empirical and theoretical development over subsequent decades. Initially rooted in ethology and psychoanalysis, the idea has become a cornerstone of attachment theory and developmental psychology.
1950s–1960s: Theoretical Foundations
John Bowlby introduced the term “internal working model” in the context of his trilogy on attachment and loss (1969–1980). Drawing from control systems theory and ethological models (notably from Lorenz and Hinde), Bowlby proposed that children develop mental representations of attachment figures based on their early experiences of caregiving. These models include expectations about the caregiver’s availability and responsiveness, as well as the child’s own worthiness of care. Bowlby argued that these representations function as internal guidance systems that help the child navigate the environment and regulate proximity-seeking behaviors.
1970s–1980s: Empirical Expansion
Mary Ainsworth’s observational work, especially the Strange Situation Procedure (1978), provided empirical support for Bowlby’s theoretical claims by categorizing infants into secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment types. Although Ainsworth did not explicitly use the term “internal working model,” her work operationalized Bowlby’s theory and laid the groundwork for studying attachment as a measurable individual difference. During the 1980s, researchers like Main, Kaplan, and Cassidy (1985) explicitly extended the internal working model concept into adult attachment research, suggesting that early models become generalized across relationships and can be assessed through discourse (e.g., the Adult Attachment Interview).
1990s: Cognitive Integration and Measurement
During the 1990s, cognitive and developmental psychologists began integrating Bowlby’s internal working models with schema theory and cognitive-affective processing models. Inge Bretherton (1990) clarified the internal working model as a dynamic, hierarchically organized system of mental representations that guide perception, memory, and affect regulation in relational contexts. The use of narrative-based measures (e.g., AAI) and self-report instruments (e.g., Adult Attachment Scale) became common methods for inferring the structure and content of these models in adults.
2000s–Present: Neurobiology, Plasticity, and Trauma
Advancements in affective neuroscience, particularly in the work of Allan Schore, Dan Siegel, and others, connected internal working models to neurodevelopmental processes such as right-brain affect regulation, mirror neuron systems, and implicit memory networks. The theory was further enriched by research on attachment disorganization, trauma, and dissociation, showing that severe disruptions in early caregiving could produce fragmented or incoherent internal models. Contemporary attachment theory now emphasizes the plasticity of internal working models—highlighting their potential for revision through therapeutic relationships, emotionally corrective experiences, and consistent attachment repair in adulthood.
Functional Architecture of Internal Working Models
Internal working models serve as cognitive-affective templates that guide interpersonal expectations and behaviors. These models are constructed through repeated early attachment experiences and influence how individuals perceive themselves, others, and relational dynamics. Their key functional domains include:
Self-perception
Internal working models shape one’s sense of self-worth and lovability. For example, individuals who experienced consistent and responsive caregiving are more likely to internalize beliefs such as “I am worthy of love” or “I can depend on others without shame.” In contrast, inconsistent or rejecting caregiving can produce beliefs like “I am not good enough” or “My needs are a burden.”
Other-perception
These models inform expectations about others’ availability, reliability, and emotional responsiveness. A secure model promotes the view that others are trustworthy and caring, while insecure models may lead to assumptions that others are neglectful, rejecting, or emotionally unsafe.
Relational strategies
Based on internal predictions about self and others, individuals develop habitual patterns for managing emotional closeness and interpersonal threat. These strategies include behaviors related to proximity-seeking, boundary setting, conflict resolution, and emotional expression. For instance, an anxious model may lead to hyperactivation strategies (e.g., clinging, reassurance-seeking), while an avoidant model may favor deactivation (e.g., withdrawal, emotional suppression).
Flexibility and Change
Although internal working models are formed during early developmental periods, particularly in the context of infant-caregiver interactions, they are not immutable. These cognitive-affective frameworks are dynamic and capable of modification across the lifespan, particularly when individuals encounter relational experiences that contradict their original attachment expectations.
Internal working models may undergo revision through the following mechanisms:
Consistent secure relationships
Ongoing exposure to emotionally attuned, reliable, and non-threatening partners, friends, or caregivers can provide sustained corrective input. When others consistently respond with warmth and responsiveness, it challenges prior assumptions about unavailability, rejection, or danger. Over time, this consistency allows for the integration of new relational expectations and the reorganization of core beliefs about self-worth and interpersonal trust.
Corrective emotional experiences
These occur when real-life interactions provide emotionally meaningful outcomes that disconfirm previously held relational fears. For example, being accepted after expressing vulnerability may counteract an internal model that predicts rejection for emotional openness. Such experiences, especially when emotionally salient and repeated, can induce neural plasticity that reshapes both cognitive and affective dimensions of attachment expectations.
Therapeutic intervention
Attachment-informed psychotherapies, including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychodynamic or trauma-based approaches (e.g., EMDR, somatic experiencing), aim to make implicit relational patterns conscious. These therapies create a secure therapeutic alliance that models a “secure base,” facilitating exploration of relational fears and promoting the construction of coherent, flexible internal models. Through guided reprocessing of early experiences and the co-creation of new emotional narratives, clients can rewire maladaptive schemas and develop more secure relational functioning.
These processes illustrate the developmental plasticity of the attachment system. While early internal working models shape foundational expectations for self and others, they are subject to ongoing modification in light of new evidence, especially when it is emotionally resonant and consistently reinforced. This adaptability forms the theoretical basis for the concept of earned secure attachment, wherein individuals with insecure early models evolve toward greater security through later life experiences.
FAQs
What is an internal working model?
It is a mental representation of how relationships function—what to expect from others, and how to behave in order to feel secure, valued, or protected.
Are internal working models conscious?
No. They operate mostly outside of conscious awareness but strongly influence behavior, emotion, and relationship decisions.
Can you change your internal working model?
Yes. Through therapy, reflection, or repeated secure experiences, individuals can develop healthier models and shift their attachment style.
How do internal working models relate to attachment styles?
Attachment styles are the behavioral expression of underlying internal working models. A secure model leads to secure behavior; insecure models lead to anxious, avoidant, or disorganized patterns.
