Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Question 1

Outline the strange situation experiment

Answer 1

Took place in room with quite controlled conditions with toys & two-way mirror for observation
Conducted by Ainsworth et al (1978) & has 7 episodes, lasting 3 minutes each:

Beginning: child & caregiver enter unfamiliar playroom
1. Child encouraged to explore - tests explanation & secure base
2. Stranger comes in & tries to interact with child - tests stranger anxiety
3. Caregiver leaves child & stranger together - tests separation anxiety
4. Caregiver returns & stranger leaves - tests reunion behaviour & exploration/secure base
5. Caregiver leaves child alone - tests separation anxiety
6. Stranger returns - tests stranger anxiety
7. Caregiver returns & reunited with child - tests reunion behaviour

Question 2

Outline the findings of the strange situation experiment

Answer 2

Ainsworth et al (1978) found there were distinct patterns in way infants behaved
Identified three main types of attachment:

Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A)
Secure attachment (Type B)
Insecure-resistant (Type C)

Question 3

Outline insecure-avoidant attachment style (Type A)

Answer 3

-Explore freely but don’t seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
-Show little/no reaction when caregiver leaves & to make contact when they return
-They show little stranger anxiety & don’t need comfort at reunion stage
-20-25% of toddlers are insecure-avoidant

Question 4

Outline insecure-resistant attachment style (Type C)

Answer 4

-Seek greater proximity than others & so explore less
-Show huge stranger & separation distress but resist comfort when reunited with caregiver
-Approx. 3% of British toddlers are insecure-resistant

Question 5

Outline secure attachment (Type B)

Answer 5

-Explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver
-Show moderate separation distress & moderate stranger anxiety
-Require & accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage
-60-75% of British toddlers are secure

Question 6

Evaluate the strange situation experiment

Answer 6

STRENGTH - Support for validity (Strange situation strongly predictive of later development)
E.g. - Babies assessed as secure typically have better outcomes, like school success
Insecure-resistant have worst outcomes - bullying in later childhood & adult mental health issues
Ex. - Evidence for validity of concept as it can explain subsequent outcomes

STRENGTH - Good reliability (inter-rater)
E.g. - Different observers watching same kids in S.S. & agree on how to classify them
May be due to S.S. Under controlled conditions & behavioural categories easily observable
Bick et al. (2012) found agreement on attachment type for 94% of tested babies
Ex. - We’re confident attachment type of infant identified in S.S. doesn’t depend on who’s observing

LIMITATION - Test may be culture-bound (doesn’t have same meaning in countries outside west)
E.g. - Cultural differences in childhood experiences mean kids respond differently to S.S.
Caregivers from different cultures behave differently in S.S.
Ex. - Takahashi (1990) found test doesn’t work in japan as mums rarely separated from babies, so there’s abnormally high levels of separation anxiety. In reunion stage, mums rushed to babies & picked them up, so hard to observe