Ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

What was the procedure of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 1

Infants aged from 9 - 18 months from 100 middle class US families. Data was gathered using a two way mirror and a video recorder. Time sampling was used to record every 15 seconds.

Question 2

What were the five behavioural categories of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 2

Proximity seeking
Reunion behaviour
Exploration behaviour
Separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety

Question 3

Ainsworth’s strange situation - insecure avoidant?

Answer 3

15%
Proximity seeking - Infant is indifferent to caregiver and play is unaffected when caregiver is absent
Reunion behaviour - unresponsive when caregiver returns
Exploration - infant freely explores
Separation anxiety - infant is unconcerned by caregivers absence
Stranger anxiety - infant avoids stranger

Question 4

Ainsworth’s strange situation - securely attached?

Answer 4

70%
Proximity seeking - Infant will show toys to caregiver and go to them during play
Reunion behaviour - Quickly calms when caregiver returns
Exploration - Infant play happily when caregiver is present
Separation anxiety - Infant is distressed when caregiver leaves
Stranger anxiety - Infant is avoidant of stranger but friendly when caregiver returns.

Question 5

Ainsworth’s strange situation - insecure resistant?

Answer 5

15%
Proximity seeking - Infant is upset and tearful when the caregiver is present
Reunion behaviour - Shows a mixed reaction of clinginess and resistance
Exploration - Limited exploration with caregiver and stranger
Separation anxiety - Very distressed when caregiver leaves
Stranger anxiety - Resists stranger’s attempts to comfort them

Question 6

Ainsworth’s strange situation extra type?

Answer 6

Main and Soloman identified the insecure disorganised type where infant lacks consistent patterns for dealing with separation

Question 7

Is Ainsworth’s strange situation reliable?

Answer 7

Standardised procedures. Same set of episodes for exactly 3 minutes.

Question 8

Does Ainsworth’s strange situation have high predictive validity?

Answer 8

Hazen and Shaver love quiz questionnaire. Found connection between childhood attachment and type of romantic love.

Question 9

Does Ainsworth’s strange situation have ecological validity?

Answer 9

Episodes conducted in an unfamiliar environment and hadn’t been left with stranger before so cannot tell us how infant would really behave.

Question 10

Does Ainsworth’s strange situation have ethical concerns?

Answer 10

Caused distress to the infants. In Japan, the study had to be stopped for 90% of the infants.

Question 11

Is Ainsworth’s strange situation culturally biased?

Answer 11

Individualistic cultures, type C may be resistant but collectivist cultures may be securely attached.