Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Question 1

Outline the procedure of Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 1

• controlled episode of 100 US white mothers and their children
• Procedure consists of 8 episodes each designed to show certain behaviours each lasting about 3 minutes in duration.
• 12-18 month old infants and their mothers were observed using a camera
• they were observing 4 behaviours:
  
  • separation anxiety
  • stranger anxiety
  • reunion behaviour
  • safe base behaviour

Question 2

What were the 8 episodes of the strange situation

Answer 2

• parent and infant play
• parent sits while infant plays
• stranger enters and talks to parent
• parent leaves infant with stranger
• parent returns, stranger leaves
• parent leaves infant alone
• stranger enters
• parent returns

Question 3

What were the findings of Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 3

• observed 3 main patterns of behaviour

Secure attachment, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant

Question 4

Explain what behaviour was typical of an insecure avoidant child (type A)

Answer 4

Safe base behaviour- infant would explore and not come back
Stranger anxiety- treats stranger normally, little to no stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety- shows no sign of distress, doesn’t notice absence
Reunion behaviour- no interest when mother returns

Question 5

Explain what behaviour was typical of a securely attached infant (type B)

Answer 5

Safe base behaviour- explore and come back, uses mother as safe base
Stranger anxiety- avoidant when alone but friendly when mother is present
Separation anxiety- mildly distressed when mother leaves
Reunion behaviour- happy when mother returns

Question 6

Explain what behaviour was typical of an insecure resistant infant (type c)

Answer 6

Safe base behaviour- don’t explore
Stranger anxiety- avoid stranger at all times
Separation anxiety- intense signs of distress
Reunion behaviour- child approaches mother but resists contact, pushes away, arches back

Question 7

Ainsworth’s concluded that…

Answer 7

• attachment differences depend on the sensitivity and responsiveness of the mother
• sensitive mothers tended to have securely attached infants

Question 8

AO3 evaluation of the strange situation

Answer 8

• Ainsworth over looked another type of attachment insecure-disorganised (type d) who didn’t have consistent behaviour. This suggests that Ainsworth’s original conclusions were OVERSIMPLIFIED
• observation had inter-observer reliability, making the observations more reliable
• real world application, research can be used to improve children’s lives within care homes, school etc.
• criticism whether it measures the attachment type or the quality of one relationship however according to Bowlby’s theory the attachment type is largely related to one special relationship
• controlled observation lacks eco validity
• standardised procedure makes it replicable
• mother showing demand characteristics
• cultural bias was done in the US
• sole focus placed on mother-infant