ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

procedure

Answer 1

controlled observation in a lab, takes place in a room with a two-way mirror through which psychologists can observe infants behaviour

Question 2

what were the 5 behaviours used to judge the attachment

Answer 2

• proximity seeking - infants with a good attachment would stay fairly close to the caregiver.
• secure-base behaviour - good attachment enables a child to feel confident to explore, using the caregiver a secure base
• stranger anxiety
• separation anxiety
• response to reunion

Question 3

how long did each episode last

Answer 3

three minutes

Question 4

episode 1

Answer 4

child is encouraged to explore

Question 5

what behaviour does the child encouraged to explore test

Answer 5

exploration/secure-base behaviour

Question 6

episode 2

Answer 6

a stranger comes in and tries to interact

Question 7

what behaviour does stranger coming in and trying to interact test

Answer 7

stranger anxiety

Question 8

episode 3

Answer 8

caregiver leaves the child and the stranger together

Question 9

what behaviour does caregiver leaving child and stranger together test

Answer 9

separation anxiety and stranger anxiety

Question 10

episode 4

Answer 10

the caregiver returns and stranger leaves

Question 11

what behaviour does caregiver returning and stranger leaving test

Answer 11

reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base

Question 12

episode 5

Answer 12

caregiver leaves child alone

Question 13

what behaviour does caregiver leaving child alone test

Answer 13

separation anxiety

Question 14

episode 6

Answer 14

the stranger returns

Question 15

what behaviour does stranger returning test

Answer 15

stranger anxiety

Question 16

episode 7

Answer 16

caregiver returns and reunites with child

Question 17

what behaviour does caregiver returns and reunites with child test

Answer 17

reunion behaviour

Question 18

what are the three main types of attachment

Answer 18

• secure attachment
• insecure avoidant attachment
• insecure resistant attachment

Question 19

what is secure attachment

Answer 19

Children explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver.
Show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety.
Require and accept comfort from caregiver on reunion

Question 20

what percent of british toddlers are classified as secure

Answer 20

60-75%

Question 21

what is insecure avoidant

Answer 21

Explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
Little to no reaction when caregiver leaves and little effort to make contact when caregiver returns
Show little stranger anxiety
Do not require comfort at reunion stage

Question 22

what percent of toddlers are insecure avoidant

Answer 22

20-25%

Question 23

what is insecure resistant

Answer 23

Seek greater proximity than others and so explore less
Show huge stranger and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with carer.

Question 24

what percent of toddlers are insecure resistant

Answer 24

around 3%

Question 25

strength of SS (validity)

Answer 25

has high validity because it was done in lab setting so had control over extraneous variables.
Also found that the attachment types identified by ainsworth affect the later development. Babies assessed as secure attachment went on to have better outcomes in many areas such as success in school and future relationships and friendships in adulthood. Those assessed as insecure-resistant had worse outcomes such as developing mental health disorders in adulthood

Question 26

strength of SS (reliability)

Answer 26

SS had high inter-rater reliability. Used multiple observers and majority came to the same conclusion/identification of attachment type. This is due to controlled conditions and behavioural categories which allowed observers to identify behaviour easily.

Question 27

weakness of SS (culture bound)

Answer 27

the strange situation does not have the same meaning in cultures outside of the USA and Western europe. Cultural differences in childhood an differences in carer behaviour in the strange situation.
EG. Japanese mothers rarely separated from babies so there are high levels of separation anzxiety. Also mothers ran in to scoop babies up when reunited to reunion behaviour was hard to observe. (Takahashi et al)