Ainsworth's Strange Situation Flashcards
Who developed the strange situation and when?
Mary Ainsworth and Sylvia Bell in 1969.
What was the aim of the study?
It aimed to measure key attachment behaviours to assess the quality of the babys attachment to caregivers.
Who were the participants in the observation?
100 middle class american infants and their mothers.
What behaviours were used to judge attachments?
- proximity seeking
- exploration and secure base behaviour
- stranger anxiety
- separation anxiety
- repsonse to reunion
How is proximity seeking used to judge attachment?
a baby with a good quality attachment will stay fairly close to a caregiver.
How is exploration and secure base attachment used to judge attachment?
good attachment enables a baby to feel confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base - a point of contact that will make them feel safe.
How is stranger anxiety used to judge attachment?
one of the signs of becoming closely attached is a display of anxiety/distress when a stranger approaches.
How is separation anxiety used to judge attachment?
another sign of becoming attached is to protest at separation from the caregiver.
How is response to reunion used to judge attachment?
babies who are securely attached greet the caregivers return with pleasure and seek comfort.
What is the first episode of the strange situation?
Caregiver and child enter the room.
What is the second episode of the strange situation?
Child is encouraged to explore and play with toys.
What is the third episode of the strange situation?
Stranger comes, talks to caregiver, and attempts to interact with child.
What is the fourth episode of the strange situation?
Caregiver leaves the baby and the stranger together.
What is the fifth episode of the strange situation?
Caregiver returns and stranger leaves.
What is the sixth episode of the strange situation?
Caregiver leaves again and baby is left on its own.
What is the seventh episode of the strange situation?
Stranger returns.
What is the eigth episode of the strange situation?
Caregiver responds and interacts with child.
What are the three types of attachment?
- type A: insecure avoidant attachment.
- type B: secure attachment.
- type C: insecure resistant attachment.
What is a secure attachment?
Babies explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver (proximity seeking and secure base behaviour). moderate separation and stranger anxiety. require and accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage. about 60-75% of British babies.
What is insecure avoidant attachment?
Weak attachment and low anxiety. Babies explore freely and don’t seek proximity or show secure base behaviour. Little or no reaction when caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety. Make little effort to make contact when caregiver returns and may even avoid contact. About 20-25% of British babies.
What is insecure resistant attachment?
Strong attachment and high anxiety. Babies seek greater proximity than others and explore less. High levels of stranger and separation anxiety, but resist comfort when reuinted with caregiver. About 3% of British babies.
What is Belsky and Rovine’s interactionist theory that explains the different attachment types?
They argue that the childs attachment type is a result of both the childs innate temperament and also how the parents respond to them.
What study proved the reliability of the strange situation classification through test-retest reliability?
Main et al (1985) tested babies at 18 months and then retested them at 6 years of age. They found that 100% of the secure babies and 75% of the avoidant babies were still under the same classification, proving the classifications are consistent over time.
What research proved the inter-rater reliability of Ainsworth’s strange situation?
Bick (2012) looked at inter-rater reliability in a team of trained strange situation observers and found an agreement of attachment type for 94% of tested babies.
