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AS Level Psychology Attachment > 6. The Strange Situation > Flashcards

6. The Strange Situation Flashcards

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1
Q

Who carried out the Strange Situation and when?

A

Mary Ainsworth in 1969

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2
Q

What type of observation is the Strange situation?

A

Controlled, covert, non-participant

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3
Q

Where was the Strange Situation study carried out and with who?

A
  • Unfamiliar playroom with two way mirror & cameras

- 106 children from the USA

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4
Q

Name the behaviour categories observed in the Strange Situation

A
  • Exploration
  • Secure-base behaviour
  • Stranger anxiety
  • Separation anxiety
  • Reunion behaviour
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5
Q

What are the 8 episodes of the Strange Situation and what behaviours were measured in each stage?

A
  1. Child and caregiver enter playroom
  2. Child encouraged to explore (exploration and secure-base behaviour)
  3. Stranger enters and tries to interact (Stranger anxiety)
  4. Caregiver leaves child and stranger (separation anxiety +stranger anxiety)
  5. Caregiver returns, stranger leaves (Reunion behaviour, exploration+secure base)
  6. Caregiver leaves child alone (separation anxiety)
  7. Stranger returns (stranger anxiety)
  8. Caregiver returns and. Reunites (reunion behaviour)
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6
Q

How long did each episode last?

A

3 minutes (unless cut short due to severe distress of the infant)

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7
Q

Describe the observations of a securely attached infant in the Strange Situation

A
  • Explores happily and regularly goes back to mother
  • Some discomfort when mother leaves but calms down
  • Wary when stranger is present
  • Greets mother positively when reunited
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8
Q

What are the behaviours of a securely attached child in the Strange Situation?

A
  • Strong secure-base & exploration behaviour
  • Moderate separation anxiety
  • Moderate stranger anxiety
  • Strong reunion behaviour
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9
Q

What would be observed in insecure avoidant children in the strange situation?

A
  • Explores freely but does not seek proximity with or go back to mother
  • Unconcerned with mother’s absence
  • No concern when stranger present
  • Uninterested when reunited with mother
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10
Q

What behaviours do insecure avoidant children show in the strange situation?

A
  • Strong exploration behaviour, weak secure-base behaviour
  • Little/no separation anxiety
  • Little/no stranger anxiety
  • No reunion behaviour
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11
Q

What would be observed in an insecure resistant infant in the strange situation?

A
  • Not much exploration and seeks proximity with mother
  • High separation anxiety
  • High stranger anxiety
  • When reunited, rejects mother even though they want her
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12
Q

What percentage of children were secure/insecure avoidant/insecure resistant in the USA strange situation study?

A
  • 66% secure
  • 22% insecure avoidant
  • 12% insecure resistant
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13
Q

Evaluate the strange situation in terms of reliability

A
  • High inter-observer reliability
  • Controlled conditions and behaviour categories (standardisation)
  • *Bick et. Al found 94% inter-observer reliability with same procedure
  • Attachment type consistent between observers
  • Reproducible so reliable
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14
Q

Evaluate the strange situation as culture-bound

A
  • Procedure developed in America
  • But children treated differently in different cultures
  • e.g. Grossman + Grossman (1991) found German children often classified as insecure avoidant as independence is encouraged
  • May be culturally biased & lack population validity
  • Imposed etic
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15
Q

Evaluate the Strange Situation in terms of ecological validity

A
  • Unfamiliar environment
  • May produce unnatural behaviour
  • e.g. some researchers found attachment behaviour stronger in lab than at home
  • Reduces external/ecological validity
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16
Q

Evaluate the strange situation in terms of a confounding variable

A
  • Kagan suggests temperament (genetically influenced personality) may effect behaviour
  • e.g. Naturally confident= securely attached & naturally anxious=insecure resistant
  • Temperament may be reason for behaviour, not attachment
17
Q

Evaluate the strange situation in terms of understanding

A
  • Observation only with one parent/caregiver
  • Ignores other possible attachment figures
  • e.g Main and Western found different behaviour with different parents
  • Low internal validity (not measuring what it intends to)
  • Limited understanding of overall attachment type in children
18
Q

Evaluate the strange situation in terms of a possible fourth type of attachment

A
  • Children may not fall into one type of attachment
  • e.g. Main & Solomon identified ‘disorganised attachment’ after analysing 200 types
  • Now widely accepted that there are 4 types
  • Ainsworth’s findings may not have been complete

AS Level Psychology Attachment (11 decks)

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