Ainsworth Strange Situation Flashcards

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1
Q

Behaviours of attachment

A
  • proximity to mother
  • exploration / secure base
  • stranger anxiety
  • separation anxiety
  • reunion response
  • sensitive responsiveness of mother to infant needs
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2
Q

What did ainsworth develop

A

Paradigm method of studying attachment

‘The Strange Situation’

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3
Q

Ainsworth 1969: aim

A

To observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver

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4
Q

Ainsworth 1969: participants

A

106 middle class American infants aged between 12-18 months and their mothers

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5
Q

Ainsworth 1969: procedure

A

• Controlled observation (room with 2-waymirror/cameras)
Procedure:
– In a laboratory, but NOT AN EXPERIMENT!
• 8episodes,eachlastingaround3minutes
– (except episode one which lasts around 30 seconds)
• Data was combined from several studies. In total 106 infants were observed

Thetestingroomwasanunfamiliarenvironmentcontaining chairs and toys
– ‘Strange Situation’
• Five categories of behaviours were recorded through a two-
way mirror
• Every15seconds,thecategoryofbehaviourdisplayedwas recorded and scored on an intensity scale of 1 to 7

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6
Q

Ainsworth: 1

A

Mother + infant in experimental

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7
Q

Ainsworth: 2

A

Mother is passive while infant explores the room

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8
Q

Ainsworth: 3

A

Stranger enters, then talks to mother, then approches infant

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9
Q

Ainsworth: 4

A

Separation episode 1

Mother leaves, stranger attempts to interact with the infant

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10
Q

Ainsworth: 5

A

Reunion episode 1

Stranger leaves, mother greets /comforst infant / then tries to engage the infant in play again

Mother then leaves

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11
Q

Ainsworth: 6

A

Second separation episode

Infant alone

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12
Q

Ainsworth: 7

A

Continuation of 2nd separation

Stranger enters and attempts to engage with the infant

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13
Q

Ainsworth: 8

A

2nd reunion

Mother enters, greets and then picks up the infant - stranger leaves quitely

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14
Q

Ainsworth: findings

A
  • generally infants explores the playroom and toys more enthusiastically when mother present

attachment types:

Type A - insecure avoidant
Type B - secure attachment
Type C - insecure resistant

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15
Q

Type A

A
Insecure avoidant 
20-25%
High willingness to explore 
High stranger anxiety 
Low separation anxiety 
Indifferent behaviour on reunion with caregiver
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16
Q

Type B

A
Secure-attachment 
60-75%
Moderate willingness to explore
Moderate stranger anxiety 
Moderate separation anxiety 
Behaviour on reunion with caregiver:
- want comfort
- calm
- easy to soothe
17
Q

Type C

A
Insecure-resistant 
3%
Low Willingness to explore
High stranger anxiety 
High separation anxiety 
Behaviour on reunion with caregiver  - ‘seek and reject’
18
Q

Parents that produce type A children

A
  • neglectful parents
  • not sensitive to child’s needs
  • not sensitively responsive
19
Q

Parents that produce type B

A

Sensitive repsonisve

20
Q

Parents that produce type c

A

Inconsistent parents

21
Q

Ainsworth: conclusions

A

3 types, ABC

Sensitive responsiveness major actor determining qualit of attachments

22
Q

Sensitive responsiveness

A

Correctly interpreting infants signals and respond appropriately to their needs
Tend to have securely attached babies

23
Q

Ainsworth: strengths

A

Paradigm method for measuring attachment

  • good reliability
  • observations were highly controlled

Attachments types have predictive value

24
Q

Ainsworth: good reliability

A

Inter observer reliability +.94

Babies tested at 18 months and then retested 6 years later - found to have the same attachment types 75% - 100%

Multiple observes (filmed
~ behavioural categories were clearly designed + operationalised 
Observers were highly trained 

Good test-retest reliability
Reliable over time - consistent measure of attachment

25
Q

Ainsworth: low external validity and population and ecological

A

Population validity - middle class American infants and mothers

Ecolgicla validity : lab setting - baby may be anxious or nervous - respond diff

Limits generalisablility - especially to other cultures

26
Q

Main and Solomon 1986

A

Disorganised or type D attachment
Mix of resistance and avoidant behaviours

Rare
Often experiences severe neglect or abuse
Most go on to develop psychological disorders by adulthood

27
Q

Van Ijzendoorn and kroonenberg 1988

A

A study

Investigate the proportions of secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments across countries to asses cultural variations

Also investigate the differences within the same countries to understand variations within a culture

28
Q

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg: method

A

Meta analysis of 32 Strange Situations in 8 countries

200 babies

All selected studies had:

  • observed only mother-infant pairs
  • classified infants into 3 attachments (A,B and C)
29
Q

Individualist culture

A

One which emphasises personal independence and achievement at the expense of group goals

  • resulting in strong sense of competition

UK, France, Switzerland

30
Q

Collectivist culture

A

One which emphasises family and work goals above individual needs and desires, there is a hgih degree of interdependence between people

China, japan, Fiji

31
Q

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg: least common attachment

A

Type C

32
Q

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg: most common attachment

A

Type B

33
Q

Collectivist countries have less of type ___ and more of type ___

A

More of type C

34
Q

Individualist have higher rates if type ___

A

A

35
Q

Cultural differences: Israeli

A

High percentage of resistant type

Raised in kibbutz - used to being separated from mother

Have inconsistent parenting ~ leading to a resistant type attachment

36
Q

Cultural differences: German

A

High % of avoidant type

Parenst seek independent non clingy infants, they value self -reliance in children and so prepare them for this at an early stage

37
Q

Cultural differences: Japan

A

High % of resistant types

Mothers are present for early years - infant become highly used to always have maternal figure present
So have high stranger + separation anxiety and low willingness to explore

38
Q

Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg: sterngths

A

Meta analysis = large sample size

BUT confounding variables