2.7. Types of attachment: The Strange Situation Flashcards
What did Ainsworth devise the strange situation to test?
Nature of attachment, under a controlled observation method
Aim of the strange situation
To see how infants behave under stress and novelty
- Stress created by presence of stranger and separation and of primary caregiver -> to test stranger anxiety and separation anxiety
What did the novel situation encourage?
Exploration to test secure base concept
How big was the research room?
9x9 foot marked off via squares to record movement
Procedure of strange situation
- 7 episodes designed to highlight certain behaviours
- Data collected every 15 seconds by a group of observers through a two way mirror
- Researcher notes a behaviour and the intensity on a scale of 1-7
What were the behaviours the researcher noted?
- Proximity seeking behaviours
- Exploration and secure base behaviours
- Stranger anxiety
- Separation anxiety
- Reunion behaviour
Episode 1 what happens
Caregiver takes infant into laboratory room and they’re left to explore
Episode 1 what it tests
Exploration and secure base
Episode 2 what happens
Stranger enters and approaches infant
Episode 2 what it tests
Stranger anxiety
Episode 3 what happens
The caregiver leaves unobtrusively and the stranger interacts with the infant
Episode 3 what it tests
Separation and stranger anxiety
Episode 4 what happens
The caregiver returns and stranger leaves
Episode 4 what it tests
Reunion behaviour and exploration/ secure base behaviour
Episode 5 what happens
The caregiver leaves so the infant is alone
Episode 5 what it tests
Separation anxiety
Episode 6 what happens
The stranger enters and interacts with the infant
Episode 6 what it tests
Stranger anxiety
Episode 7 what happens
The caregiver returns and greets the infant
Episode 7 what it tests
Reunion behaviour
Type B, secure attachment findings
- 66% of infants
- Moderate proximity seeking
- Moderate exploration but happy to return
- Moderate stranger anxiety
- Moderate separation anxiety
- Easily calmed upon reunion
Type A, insecure avoidant attachment findings
- 22% of infants
- Low proximity seeking
- High exploration
- Low stranger and separation anxiety
- Ignores upon reunion
Type c, insecure resistant attachment
- 12% of infants
- High proximity seeking
- Low exploration
- High separation and stranger anxiety
- Hard to calm upon reunion
Strength: good predictor of later development
- Securely attached infants had better outcomes (academic success, more friends, better romantic relationships)
- Resistant infants were bullied and had adult mental health problems
- This is evidence for validity of the concept because it can predict future outcomes
- However, it may not measure genetic differences in anxiety.
Strength: inter-rater reliability
- Inter-rater reliability used on ratings used on ratings were compared by a panel of experienced judges
- Behaviour categories were clearly defined, therefore more reliable
- Ainsworth found an almost perfect agreement when rating exploratory behaviour - 0.94 agreement
Weakness: Culture bias
- Might not have the same meaning in countries outside of Western Europe and the USA where it was created.
- Cultural diffs in children’s experiences mean they respond differently e.g. Japanese babies show anxiety because they aren’t used to being left by their caregiver
- This means it’s difficult to know what the strange situation is measuring in some countries/ cultures
Weakness: 4th attachment type
A reanalysis of over 200 strange situation videotapes led Main and Solomon to propose a 4th attachment type:
Disorganised attachment:
- A lack of consistent pattens of social behaviour
- Lack coherent strategy for dealing with stress of separation
- An odd mix of avoidant and resistant
