Ainsworth-Strange Situation

Question 1

What did she do?

Answer 1

Controlled observation

Question 2

What was her sample?

Answer 2

100 Middle class American infants and there mothers

Question 3

How many episodes were there and how long were they?

Answer 3

7 episodes
3 minutes

Question 4

What did she measure?

Answer 4

Judged the child’s reaction to 4 variables through a two way mirror.

Question 5

What were the four variables Ainsworth used?

Answer 5

-Willingness to explore
-Separation anxiety
-Stranger anxiety
-reunion behaviour

Question 6

Explain the procedure/ what happened in the videos?

Answer 6

-Parent and child enter the room and child explores for 3 mins
-Stranger enter the room and tries to interact with child
-parent leaves the room
-parent returns and stranger leaves
-parent leaves
-child is left alone
-stranger returns
-stranger leaves and parent returns

Question 7

Which 3 types of attachment did she find?

Answer 7

-Secure
-Insecure avoidant
-Insecure resistant

Question 8

Explain a child according to the 4 variables with a secure attachment.

Answer 8

70%=Responsive
-willing,use mother as secure base
-Upset/Subdued
-avoidant of stranger friendly in mothers presence
-positive/happy

Question 9

Explain a child according to the 4 variables with a insecure avoidant attachment.

Answer 9

20%=Unresponsive
-Willing
-unconcerned
-unconcerned, avoidant of both
-unresponsive

Question 10

Explain a child according to the 4 variables with a insecure resistant attachment.

Answer 10

10%=Inconsistent
-low willingness
-intensely distressed
-extreme fear
-clingyness mixed with rejection

Question 11

What are the 3 Evaluations?

Answer 11

-Low ecological validity
-Imposed etic
-Only mothers observed

Question 12

Explain the evaluation of low ecological validity.

Answer 12

-controlled environment
-two way mirror
-not apporpriate to generalis the findings to real life attachment types
-infant may not behave how they do in real life
-e.g less exploration,scared of stranger due to be being uncomfortable in a unfamiliar enivronment
-lowers EV

Question 13

Explain the evaluation of Imposed etic.

Answer 13

-based on American child rearing practices
-ignores practices from other cultures
-e.g in germany it is common practise for independance to be encouraged
-infant may show insecure avoidant attachment but this is desirable
-not appropriate to use ‘strange situation.

Question 14

Explain the evluation of only mothers observed.

Answer 14

-neglects to consider attachment type for others cargivers
-e.g feild, he found fathers can also be the PCG
-therefore if mother isnt PGC infant could have a different attachment type
-lowering IV