Ainsworth Strange Situation

Question 1

What was Ainsowrth’s sample ?

Answer 1

100 middle-class american infants and their mothers 🇺🇸

Question 2

what type of study was it?

Answer 2

Controlled observation

Question 3

Name the four variables Ainsworth used

Answer 3

1. Willingness to explore environment
2. Separation anxiety
3. Stranger anxiety
4. Reunion behaviour

Question 4

What was ainsworth procedure?

Answer 4

1. parent enters room w child child explores for three mins
2. stranger enters and tries interacting
3. parent leaves infant w stranger
4. parent returns stranger leaves parent settles the infant
5. parent leaves child alone
6. Stranger returns
7. parent returns and stranger leaves

Question 5

What were the findings?

Answer 5

secure - 70%

insecure avoidant - 20%

insecure resistant - 10%

Question 6

What is secure attachment?

Answer 6

• willing to explore environment
• upset/subdued when mother leaves SA
• avoidant of stranger but friendly when mother present
• positive happy when mother returns (reunion behaviour)

Question 7

What is insecure avoidant?

Answer 7

• willing to explore environment
• unconcerned by mother’s absence SA
• unconcerned and often avoidant of mother and stranger
• unresponsive when returns

Question 8

What is insecure-resistant?

Answer 8

• low willingness to explore environment
• intensely distressed
• extreme fear of stranger SA
• clinginess mixed with rejection on return

Question 9

Give one criticism of Ainsworth research into attachment types

Answer 9

P - lacks ecological validity
E - takes place in controlled environment (two way mirror)
E - not appropriate to generalise findings to real life attachment types infant may not behave how they usually do in their natural environment
e.g shy in unfamiliar environment
L - lowering external validity

Question 10

Give a strength of this

Answer 10

P - praised for high in reliability
E - controller setting room (two way mirror) using standardised procedure each variable measured in 3 min intervals
E - observation can be repeated again to check for consistent results
L - carried out successfully in many cultures

Question 11

Give another criticism

Answer 11

P - imposed etic
E - based on American child-rearing practices ignored practices in other cultures
E - e.g Germany 🇩🇪 common practise for independence to be encouraged in infants may show insecure avoidant it is desirable
L - not appropriate to measure attachment types in other cultures