Ainsworth's strange situation Flashcards
1
Q
what was the aim of the study?
A
to observe quality of attachment in a controlled lab experiment (2 way mirror)
2
Q
what were the categories used to judge the quality of attachment?
A
- proximity seeking
- exploration an secure base environment
- stranger anxiety
- separation anxiety
- response tor union with caregiver
3
Q
what was the procedure of the study?
A
3 minute episodes of:
- child encouraged to explore
- stranger and parent talk
- parent leaves
- parent returns
- parent leaves child alone
- stranger returns
- parent returns
4
Q
what were the findings of the study?
A
- 60 to 75% were secure and explored, wanted proximity and had moderate naivety
- 20 to 25% were insecure avoidant and explored, wanted no proximity and had no anxiety
- 3% were insecure resistant and wouldn’t explore, had lots of proximity, and lots of anxiety
5
Q
positive evaluation:
predictive validity of attachment types
A
- attachment type predicts later development (likes secure people do better in school and have better romance)
- insecure resistant associated with mental health problems (Ward 2006) and bullying
- this is evidence for the validity because it can explain future outcomes
6
Q
positive evaluation:
it shows very good inter-rater reliability
A
- different observers generally agree on a child’s attachment type - Bick et al 2012 found 94% agreement
- this is because the study takes place in controlled conditions and behavior categories are easy to observe
- can be confident that attachment type doesn’t just depend on whos observing them
7
Q
negative evaluation:
temperament may be a confounding variable
A
- assumed the main influence on separation and stranger anxiety was the quality of attachment
- Kagan (82) suggests temperament of a child is a more important influence on their behavior in the study
- challenges validity because supposed to measure the quality of attachment, not child’s temperament
