Ainsworth's Strange Situation

Question 1

Strange Situation:

Answer 1

A controlled observation designed to test attachment security.

Question 2

Secure Attachment:

Answer 2

Generally considered to be the most desirable attachment type. In this SS, this is shown by moderate stranger and separation anxiety and ease of comfort at reunion.

Question 3

Insecure-avoidant attachment:

Answer 3

Characterised by low anxiety but weak attachment. Shown by low stranger and separation anxiety and little response to reunion.

Question 4

Insecure-resistant:

Answer 4

Strong attachment and high anxiety. High levels of stranger and separation anxiety. Resistance to be comforted at reunion.

Question 5

Proximity seeking:

Answer 5

An infant with good attachment will stay fairly close to the caregiver.

Question 6

Exploration and secure-base behaviour:

Answer 6

Good attachment enables a child to feel confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base.

Question 7

Episode 1:

Answer 7

Child is encouraged to explore. Test exploration and secure base.

Question 8

Episode 2:

Answer 8

A stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child. Tests stranger anxiety.

Question 9

Episode 3:

Answer 9

The caregiver leaves the child and stranger leaves. Test reunion behaviour and exploration/ secure base.

Question 10

Episode 4:

Answer 10

Caregiver returns and the stranger leaves. Test reunion behaviour and secure base.

Question 11

Episode 5:

Answer 11

The caregiver leaves the child alone. Separation anxiety.

Question 12

Episode 6:

Answer 12

Stranger returns. Tests stranger anxiety.

Question 13

Episode 7:

Answer 13

Caregiver returns and is reunited with the child. Tests reunion behaviour.

Question 14

Findings: Secure Attachment Type B

Answer 14

1. Explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver (proximity seeking).
2. Moderate separation and stranger anxiety.
3. Require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage.
4. 60-75% of toddlers.

Question 15

Findings: Insecure avoidant

Answer 15

1. Explore freely but do not seek proximity.
2. Little or no reaction when the caregiver leaves, make little effort to make contact when the CG returns.
3. Little stranger anxiety.
4. Do not require comfort at the reunion stage.
5. 20-25%.

Question 16

Findings: Insecure-resistant

Answer 16

1. Seek greater proximity than others and explore less.
2. Huge stranger and separation anxiety.
3. Resist comfort when reunited with their carer.
4. 3%.

Question 17

E: Support for Validity

Answer 17

1. Attachment type as defined by the SS is strongly predictive of later development.
2. Babies assessed as secure typically go on to have better outcomes at school, romantic relationships and friendships.
3. Insecure resistant attachment is associated with the worst outcomes including bullying in later children (Kokkinos 2007) and adult mental health problems. (Ward et al.2006)

Question 18

E: Good reliability

Answer 18

1. Shows very good inter-rater reliability.
2. Different observers watching the same children in the SS generally agree on what attachment type to classify them.
3. This may be because the SS takes place under controlled conditions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe.
4. Bick et.al (2012) looked at inter-rater reliability in a team of trained SS observers and found agreement on attachment type for 94% of tested babies.
5. Can be confident in attachment type does not just depend on the person.

Question 19

E: May be culture bound

Answer 19

1. There is some doubt that it does not mean the same thing in countries outside Western Europe and USA.
2. Cultural differences in childhood experiences are likely to mean that children respond differently to the SS, so do caregivers.
3. Takahashi (1990) noted that the test does not work in Japan. Japanese mothers are rarely separated from their babies, high levels of separation anxiety.
4. In the reunion stage, mothers rushed to the baby and scooped them up, child’s reunion behaviour was hard to observe.

Question 20

E: There is at least one more attachment type

Answer 20

1. Main and Solomon (1986) pointed that a minority of children display atypical attachments that do not fall within types A,B and C.
2. Disorganised attachment.
3. Usually display an odd mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours.

Question 21

E: What does the SS measure?

Answer 21

1. The SS measures a child’s response to anxiety produced by being in an unfamiliar environment.
2. That is not in doubt.
3. What is more controversial is whether the main influence on this anxiety is attachment, like Ainsworth assumed.
4. Kagan 1982, suggested that temperament, the genetically influenced personality of the child, is a more important influence on behaviour in the SS than attachment.
5. Temperament may be a confounding variable.