Ainsworth's Strange Situation Flashcards
What did Ainsworth (1969) develop?
The Strange Situation
What did the Stange Situation measure?
The quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver
What kind of observation is it?
Controlled - done in a lab with two-way mirror
What are the five categories which are used to judge the attachment quality?
- Proximity seeking
- Exploration and secure-base behaviours
- Stranger anxiety
- Separation anxiety
- Reunion with caregiver
How long did each episode last in the Strange Situation?
3 minutes
How many episodes were there in the Strange Situation?
7 episodes
What was the order of the episodes (procedure) of the Strange Situation?
- A child encouraged to explore by their caregiver
- Stranger enters and talks to caregiver
- Caregiver leaves
- Caregiver returns, stranger leaves
- Caregiver leaves child alone
- Stanger returns
- Caregiver returns
What were the three main types of attachments identified by Ainsworth?
- Secure attachment
- Insecure-avoidant attachment
- Insecure-resistant attachment
What were the observations of a secure attachment?
- Happy to explore but still seeks proximity of caregiver
- Moderate separation anxiety
- Moderate stranger anxiety
- Requires and accepts comfort during a reunion
What were the observations of an insecure-avoidant attachment?
- High exploration
- Low proximity
- No separation anxiety
- No stranger anxiety
- Doesn’t require comfort after a reunion
What were the observations of an insecure-resistant attachment?
- Low exploration
- High proximity
- High stranger anxiety
- High separation anxiety
- Resists comfort when reunited
What attachment is type A?
Insecure-avoident
How many people in the Ainsworth Strange Situation had type A?
20-25%
What attachment is type B?
Secure
How many people in the Ainsworth Strange Situation had type B?
60-75%
