AINSWORTH'S STRANGE SITUATION (1978)

Question 1

PROCEDURE

Answer 1

• controlled observation in a lab with a two way mirror to observe infant behaviour
  The behaviours used to judge attachment:
• PROXIMITY SEEKING: good attachment = stay close to caregiver
• EXPLORATION & SECURE-BASE BEHAVIOUR: good attachment = child feels confident to explore, using caregiver as a secure base
• STRANGER ANXIETY
• SEPARATION ANXIETY
• RESPONSE TO REUNION
  1) child encouraged to explore
  2) stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child
  3) caregiver leaves the child and stranger together
  4) caregiver returns and stranger leaves
  5) caregiver leaves child alone
  6) stranger returns
  7) caregiver returns and reunites with child

Question 2

FINDINGS

Answer 2

SECURE ATTACHMENT (Type B): explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver
- usually show moderate separation distress and stranger anxiety
- require and accept comfort from caregiver in reunion
- 60-75% of British toddlers
INSECURE-AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT (Type A): explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
- show little/no reaction when caregiver leaves and little effort to make contact when caregiver returns
- little stranger anxiety
- do not require comfort in reunion stage
- 20-25% of toddlers
INSECURE-RESISTANT ATTACHMENT (Type C): 12%
seek greater proximity than others, so explore less
- huge stranger and separation distress
- resist comfort when reunited
- around 3% of toddlers

Question 3

AO3: SUPPORT FOR VALIDITY

Answer 3

• attachment type = strongly predictive of later development
• babies assessed as secure typically go on to have better outcomes in many areas, from success at school or romantic relationships and friendships
• insecure-resistant = associated with the worst outcomes: bullying and adult mental health problems
• evidence for VALIDITY as it can explain subsequent outcomes
  HOWEVER, this view is DETERMINIST –> just because you have an insecure attachment type does not mean that you will fail in all aspects of life purely due to your childhood attachments (PSYCHIC DETERMINISM)

Question 4

AO3: GOOD RELIABILITY

Answer 4

• shows very good INTER-RATER RELIABILITY
• different observers watching the same children generally agree on what attachment type to classify
• may be because it takes place under controlled conditions and the behavioural categories = easy to observe
• agreement on attachment type for 94% of tested babies
• we can be confident that the attachment type of an infant does not just depend on who is observing them
  HOWEVER, these attachment types may not be 100% accurate as there may be one more attachment type
• DISORGANISED ATTACHMENT: odd mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours

Question 5

AO3: TEST = CULTURE BOUND

Answer 5

• cultural differences in childhood experiences = likely to mean that children respond differently to the Strange Situation
• caregivers from different cultures behave differently
  TAKAHASHI (1990) noted that the test does not work in Japan –> Japanese mothers are so rarely separated from their babies so there are very high levels of separation anxiety
• in the reunion stage, Japanese mothers rushed to the babies and scooped them up –> babies’ response = hard to observe
• IMPOSED ETIC: SS done in USA, an individualistic, Western culture –> would not be appropriate or accurate to impose these findings onto the rest of the world, who may have different child-rearing practices.