4 Flashcards

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1
Q

Who proposed the Strange Situation?

A

Ainsworth (1970s)

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2
Q

Define the Strange Situation

A

Controlled observation designed to test the quality of an infant’s attachment to their caregiver

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3
Q

Who was Ainsworth a student of?

A

Bowlby

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4
Q

What 4 behaviours were assessed during the Strange Situation?

A
  • Exploration + secure base behaviour (good attachment: infants explore, using caregiver as a secure base)
  • Stranger anxiety (good attachment: anxiety towards strangers)
  • Separation anxiety (good attachment: anxiety when separated from caregiver)
  • Response to reunion (good attachment: caregiver’s return greeted with pleasure, infant seeks their comfort)
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5
Q

What type of observation is the Strange Situation?

A
  • Controlled, overt observation (though 2 way mirror)
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6
Q

How many episodes in the Strange Situation

A

Beginning + 7 others

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7
Q

How long did each Strange Situation episode last?

A

Approx 3 mins

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8
Q

Outline the episodes in the Strange Situation + what behaviour was being observed during each episode

A

Beginning) Caregiver + infant enter unfamiliar playroom

1) Infant encouraged to explore (exploration/secure base)
2) Stranger enters, talks to caregiver, approaches infant (stranger anx)
3) Caregiver leaves. Infant + stranger left together (separation + stranger anx)
4) Caregiver returns. Stranger leaves (reunion + exploration/secure base)
5) Caregiver leaves infant alone (separation anx)
6) Stranger returns (stranger anx)
7) Caregiver returns (reunion)

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9
Q

What were the findings of the original Strange Situation?

A

3 main behaviour patterns emerged, so 3 main attachment types were concluded

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10
Q

What are the 3 main attachment types found in the Strange Situation?

A

Type A : Insecure-avoidant attachment
Type B : Secure attachment
Type C : Insecure-resistant attachment

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11
Q

What is Type A (insecure-avoidant)?

A

Low anxiety, weak attachment

  • Infants explore, without returning to safe base
  • Little separation or stranger anxiety
  • Little pleasure or avoidance of reunion with caregiver
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12
Q

What is Type B (secure attachment)?

A

Good attachment, most desirable

  • Infants explore, regularly returning to safe base
  • Moderate separation and stranger anxiety
  • Positive response to reunion, seeking comfort
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13
Q

What is Type C (insecure-resistant)?

A

High anxiety, very strong attachment

  • Infants explore less, seeking proximity
  • High separation and stranger anxiety
  • Resist comfort during reunion
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14
Q

What percentage of British infants are insecure-avoidant (A)?

A

20-25 %

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15
Q

What percentage of British infants are secure (B)?

A

60-75 %

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16
Q

What percentage of British infants are insecure-resistant (c)?

A

Approx 3 %

17
Q

Give 2 positive evaluation points for Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

A

Later life research supports 3 attachment types

  • Type B infants have better outcomes: childhood (better school achievement, less involvement in bullying - Kokkinos, 2007), adulthood (better mental health - Ward, 2006)
  • Type C infants + those not fitting any category have worst outcomes

Methodology

  • Clear, easily observable categories gave good inter-rater reliability
  • Trained observers agreed in 94% cases (Bick et al, 2012)
18
Q

Give 3 negative evaluation points for Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

A

May be a fourth attachment type

  • Original categories don’t fit the entire population
  • Main + Solomon (1986) identified Type D : disorganised attachment
  • Type D involves mixture of avoidant + resistant behaviours + often get psychological disorders
  • Type D often stems from neglect/abuse

Methodology

  • May have measured genetic anxiety levels, not attachment security
  • Kagan (1982) suggested different behaviours were result of diff genetically-influenced anxiety levels, not diff attachment types
  • Means internal validity may be low (not assessing attachment)

Methodology

  • Overt observation
  • Mothers may adapt behaviour due to social desirability
  • Results in change in infant behaviour
  • External validity reduced (not representative of everyday)
19
Q

What is a 4th negative evaluation point about Strange Situation that provoked a new study?

A

The findings may be culturally-bound, only representing individualist cultures

20
Q

Who conducted a study to investigate cultural variations in attachment type?

A

Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg (1988)

21
Q

What type of study did Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg do?

A

Meta analysis

22
Q

Outline Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg’s procedure?

A
  • Meta analysis
  • Used 32 attachment studies that had used the Strange Situation
  • Studies from 8 countries (assessing difference within + between countries)
23
Q

What were Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg’s findings?

A
  • In all countries, secure attachment (B) most common
    (75% in England, 50% in China)
  • In individualist countries, insecure-avoidant (A) 2nd most common (matching Ainsworth’s original study) + insecure-resistant least common (less than 14%)
  • In collectivist countries, insecure-resistant (C) 2nd most common (not matching Ainsworth’s original study) (over 25%) + insecure-avoidant (A) least common
  • Variations were 1.5X greater within countries than between countries
    (Secure in USA varied from 90%-46%)
24
Q

Outline an example of the Strange Situation used in an individualist culture

A
  • Italian Study
  • Simonelli et al (2014)
  • 76 , 1yr old babies
  • Strange Situation Procedure
  • Secure = 50%
  • Insecure-avoidant = 36%
  • Insecure-resistant = 14%
  • An individualist culture, so fit Ainsworth’s original attachment findings
25
Q

Outline an example of the Strange Situation used in a collectivist culture

A
  • Korean Study
  • Jin et al (2012)
  • 87 babies
  • Strange Situation Procedure
  • Secure = Most
  • Insecure-resistant = Rest
  • Insecure-avoidant = Only 1
  • A collectivist culture, with mothers traditionally being very involved and attentive in child-rearing, so didn’t fit Ainsworth’s original findings
26
Q

What can be concluded from the analysis of the cross-cultural studies on attachment?

A
  • Attachment is similar cross-culturally (secure always most common)
  • Attachment has some cross-cultural variations due to…
    1) Individualist/collectivist culture (avoidant 2nd most common in individualist countries, resistant 2nd most common in collectivist countries)
    2) Child-rearing techniques in that culture (Korea + Japan, resistant 2nd most common due to highly involved parenting styles)
27
Q

Give 2 positive evaluation points for the cultural variation attachment studies

A

Methodology

  • Meta-analysis uses a large sample size, getting a better understanding of the country as a whole (e.g. 15 US studies)
  • Results are more generalisable + representative of whole country

Methodology

  • Often used indigenous researchers (e.g. Korea - by Jin)
  • Indigenous researchers collect data with more internal validity (unaffected by confounding variables of stereotypes + miscommunication)
  • BUT not all researchers were indigenous (e.g. Morelli + Tronick - foreign but did one of US studies)
28
Q

Give 2 negative evaluation points for the cultural variation attachment studies

A

Methodology

  • Hard to keep controlled, identical methodology worldwide
  • Variations in environment, etc, may confound results by impacting infant behaviour
  • May be hard to make valid comparisons between the studies

Issue - imposed etic
- Attachment may not be measurable in same way in all countries
- E.g. UK + USA - Lack of positive reunion = insecure attachment
Germany - Lack of positive reunion = independence (encouraged) but attachment may still be strong
- Internal validity may be low if the method doesn’t validly measure attachment everywhere

29
Q

What is imposed etic?

A

Imposing an idea/technique that works in one culture, to another culture