Ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

Outline the strange situation

Answer 1

• developed by Ainsworth
• it is a controlled observation
• done in a laboratory with a two-way mirror which psychologists can observe the infants’ behaviour through

Question 2

The behaviours used to judge attachment include …

Answer 2

• proximity seeking
• exploration and secure-base behaviour
• stranger anxiety
• separation anxiety
• response to reuinion

Question 3

What were the seven episodes at which the procedure was divided into

Answer 3

1- the child is encouraged to explore
2- a stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child
3- the caregiver leaves the child and the stranger together
4- the caregiver returns and the stranger leaves
5- the caregiver leaves the child alone
6- the stranger returns
7- the caregiver returns and id reunited with the child

Question 4

What were Ainsworth’s findings

Answer 4

THEY CAN BE DIVIDED INTO 3 SECTIONS:

• SECURE ATTACHMENT: these children explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver, show moderate separation distress, moderate stranger anxiety, require and accept comfort from caregivers, 60-70% British toddlers classified as secure.
• INSECURE-AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT: explore freely, do not seek proximity, no separation anxiety/stranger anxiety, do not require comfort at reunion, 20-25% are classified as insecure avoidant.
• INSECURE-RESISTANT ATTACHMENT: seek greater proximity and so explore less, huge stranger, separation anxiety, resist comfort when reunited with carer, 3% classified as insecure-resistant.

Question 5

Give a strength of the strange situation

Answer 5

• There is support for its validity, secure attachment leads to the best outcomes
• insecure- resistent is associated within one of the worst outcomes, including bullying in later childhood (Kokkinos) and adult mental health problems (Ward et al)
• this is evidence for the validity of the strange situation

Question 6

Give likely limitation of the strange situation

Answer 6

• the test may be culture-bound
• cultural differences in childhood may mean children respond to the strange situation differently
• caregivers from different cultures behave differently to the strange situation

Question 7

What did Takahashi find

Answer 7

• test does not really work in Japan because Japanese mothers are so rarely separated from their babies, so separation anxiety is very high, in the reunited stage, baby was scooped up by the mother instantly, meaning babies response was hard to observe