3.4: Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation'

Question 1

The Strange Situation can be used to identify a child’s attachment type.

Explain how the behaviour of a child showing insecure-avoidant attachment type would be different from the behaviour of a child showing insecure-resistant attachment type (4 marks)

Answer 1

One way is separation behaviour - An insecure-avoidant child would seem unconcerned when the mother leaves, whereas an insecure-resistant child would show intense distress

Question 2

The Strange Situation can be used to identify a child’s attachment type.

Explain how the behaviour of a child showing insecure-avoidant attachment type would be different from the behaviour of a child showing insecure-resistant attachment type (4 marks).
One way is separation behaviour - An insecure-avoidant child would seem unconcerned when the mother leaves, whereas an insecure-resistant child would show intense distress.

Answer 2

Another way is reunion behaviour - An insecure-avoidant child would show little reaction when the mother comes back, whereas an insecure-resistant child might cling to their mother, but show ambivalent behaviour towards her

Question 3

Some people say that Ainsworth’s studies lacked validity.

Explain this criticism of Ainsworth (4 marks)

Answer 3

There are a number of ways in which the Strange Situation could be criticised for lacking validity.
For example, a lack of population validity.
This is because the original study used American infants.
The study tells us about how this particular group behaves and cannot be generalised to the wider population

Question 4

Some people say that Ainsworth’s studies lacked validity.
Explain this criticism of Ainsworth (4 marks).
There are a number of ways in which the Strange Situation could be criticised for lacking validity.
For example, a lack of population validity.
This is because the original study used American infants.
The study tells us about how this particular group behaves and cannot be generalised to the wider population.

Answer 4

The study also lacked ecological validity, because it was carried out in controlled conditions and might not be generalised to other situations