Ainsworth's strange situation and cultural variations

Question 1

What is Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 1

A controlled observation developed by Mary ainsworth and Silvia bell. To observe and attach caregiver infant attachment. It took place in a controlled setting with and a two way mirror and cameras.
-Floor was tiled so the movements were large which allowed for accuracy.
-All babies in the original were between 12 and 18 months.

Question 2

What were the behaviours used to observe attachment?

Answer 2

Proximity seeking, secure base exploration behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, reunion behaviour.

Question 3

What is proximity seeking?

Answer 3

Infants try to maintain close physical contact with caregiver

Question 4

What is secure based behaviour?

Answer 4

Even when we are independent of our attachment figures we tend to make regular contact with them and treat them as a base from which we explore.

Question 5

What is stranger anxiety?

Answer 5

the caution and wariness displayed by infants when encountering an unfamiliar person

Question 6

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 6

the distress displayed by infants when a customary care provider departs

Question 7

What is reunion behaviour?

Answer 7

behaviour on being reunited with a caregiver

Question 8

What are the strange situation episodes?

Answer 8

1. Baby is encouraged to explore- secure base ans exploration.
2. A stranger comes in and approaches the baby- stranger anxiety.
3. Caregiver leaves and stranger tries to interact with baby- separation and stranger anxiety.
4. Caregiver returns and stranger leaves- reunion behaviour and secure base behaviour.
5. Caregiver leaves baby alone- separation anxiety.
6. Stranger returns- stranger anxiety.
7. Caregiver returns- reunion behaviour.

Question 9

How long are the episodes?

Answer 9

3 minutes

Question 10

What is Type A attachment?

Answer 10

insecure-avoidant attachment

Question 11

Characteristics of type A?

Answer 11

-22% of babies.
-Avoid social interaction and intimacy.
-These babies explore freely without bothering to know where the mother is. They don’t show proximity seeking and secure base.
-No reaction when caregiver leaves and have little stranger anxiety.
-Make little effort when the caregiver returns and may even avoid the reunion.

Question 12

What is Type B attachment?

Answer 12

secure

Question 13

Characteristics of Type B?

Answer 13

-66% of babies.
-Harmonious and cooperative relationships.
-Explores happily but regularly returns to caregiver.
-Moderate separation and stranger anxiety.
-Require and accept comfort at the reunion stage.

Question 14

What is Type C attachment?

Answer 14

insecure resistant

Question 15

Characteristics of Type C?

Answer 15

-12%
-Clingy relationships.
-Seeks proximity so will explore less.
-High levels of stranger and separation anxiety.
-At the reunion stage, may resist comfort.S

Question 16

Strengths of the strange situation?

Answer 16

-Predictive value- Able to predict a baby’s later development. Research (Kokkinos 2007) shows that type B babies experience less bullying and achieve more at school. Shows that Ainsworth measures something that is meaningful and valuable for its life.
-Good inter-rater reliability- Bick et al 2012 found 94% of cases agreed on attachment type. This is because of the controlled environment and the behaviours were large movements that were easily observed. Shows that the strange situation was not subjective and that we can be confident in its results.

Question 17

Weaknesses of the strange situation?

Answer 17

-Some psychologists argue that it does not measure attachment. Kagan 1982 suggested genetic variations in anxiety levels could explain the attachment behaviours, and that they were caused by the security of the attachment.
-Controlled conditions may lack ecological validity. It may not reflect attachment in the babies’ usual environment. Therefore lacks the ability to generalise.
-Cultural bias- the method was developed in Britain and USA, where babies have a different experience to those in a non-Western culture. For example, in Japan, it is rare for mothers and babies to be separated and this results in more type A and C babies, but this was not caused by insecure attachment, just cultural norms. So cannot be accurately used in other cultures.
-Too simplistic- Main and Soloman suggested a Type D, which is disorganised and disorientated. These babies are unusual and have usually experienced abuse/neglect. Most will go on to develop mental disorders.

Question 18

Who researched cultural variations in attachment?

Answer 18

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988)

Question 19

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg aims

Answer 19

-Investigate any pattern in attachment types across 8 cultures.
-To see whether there are any intra-cultural (within) and inter-cultural differences.
-Evaluate similarities and differences in profiles of attachment types between cultures.

Question 20

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg procedure

Answer 20

-A meta analysis of 32 studies from 8 countries, with 1990 strange situations analysed.
-Only used research looking at infant mother attachment, categorising as ABC types and had sample sizes above 35. All infants were under 2.

Question 21

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg findings

Answer 21

Highest Type A: Germany. Lowest Type A: Japan.
Highest type B: UK. Lowest type B: China.
Highest Type C: Israel. Lowest Type C: UK.
Overall percentages: A: 20.5%, B: 65%, C: 14.5%

Question 22

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg conclusions

Answer 22

-Intercultural: Type B was the most common in all cultures. But there is wide variation between the different types of attachment. Collectivist cultures such as Japan and Israel show higher proportions of type C. Individualist cultures such as Germany and UK, show higher proportions of type B and A.
-Intracultural- variation within cultures was 1.5 times greater than between cultures. In the USA, one study found 40% B and another found 90% B.

Question 23

How can you explain cultural variations?

Answer 23

-Germany has the highest percentage of type A. In Germany children are encouraged to be independent and obedient.
-In Japan, it is rare for babies and mothers to be separated. Explains higher level of type C.

Question 24

Simonella et al 2014?

Answer 24

Italy strange situation
76 12 month olds
50% secure, 36% avoidant
lower rate of secure than expecting, suggesting that it is changing over time. Mothers are now working more and using more professional childcare.

Question 25

Jin et al 2012?

Answer 25

strange situation in korean
insecure and secure were similar, but there was only one a avoidant- the rest were resistant
Similar to japan in the collectivist parenting style.

Question 26

Strengths of cultural variations?

Answer 26

+Use of meta-analysis is ethically good. No new data collected, no more children to be placed in traumatic strange situation.
+Combining results from different countries gives a larger sample than a single study. Increasing internal validity.
+Study has important applications. First large scale comparative analysis of attachment.
+Use of indigenous researchers- The research included was done by researchers from that culture. Avoids cross cultural problems. There was less likely to be misinterpreted language and instructions are more effectively communicated. Higher internal validity.

Question 27

Weaknesses of cultural variations?

Answer 27

–Confounding variables. The studies’ methodology was not matched when comparing countries. Confounding variables such as poverty, class and urban/rural make up can confound results. Environmental variables like the size of the room in the strange situation were not uniform. Therefore lacks internal validity in this respect.
–Imposing a test designed for one culture onto another. Strange situation developed in the USA, where a lack of affection is viewed as avoidance. However in Germany, this would be viewed as independence. So comparing cross cultural strange situations is pointless.
–Some of the sample sizes from the countries were small. Only one study from Sweden, China and UK which may not be able to be generalised.