Ainsworth strange situation Flashcards
what was the aim of the strange situation study?
to be able to observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver.
describe the procedure for Ainsworths strange situation
The strange situation is a controlled observation procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a child displays towards a caregiver. It takes place in a room with quite controlled observations with a two way mirror through which psychologists can observe the infants behaviours.
what were the five behaviours used to judge attachment?
- proximity seeking
- exploration and secure base behaviour
- stranger anxiety
- separation anxiety
- response to reunion
what is the secure attachment?
These children explore happily but regularly go back to their caregiver. They usually show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. Securely attached children require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage.
describe the insecure avoidant attachment
These children explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour. They show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and they make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns. They also show little stranger anxiety. They do not require comfort at the reunion stage. About 20-25% of toddlers are classified as insecure avoidant.
describe the insecure resistant attachment
These children seek greater proximity than others and so explore less. They show huge strangers and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with their carer. Around 3% of British toddlers are classified as insecure-resistant
Evaluation: strength
good inter-reliability
Different observers watching the same children in the Strange situation generally agree on what attachment type to classify them with.
This may be because the strange situation takes place under controlled conditions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe. In a recent study, Bick et al (2012) looked at inter-rater reliability in a team of trained Strange Situation observers and found agreement on attachment type for 94% of testes babies.
Evaluation: weakness
culture bound test
Firstly, cultural differences in childhood experiences are likely mean that children respond differently to the Strange Situation. Secondly, caregivers from different cultures behave differently in the Strange Situation.
e.g Takahashi has noted that the test does not really work in Japan because Japanese mothers are so rarely separated from their babies and so there are very high levels of separation anxiety.
Evaluation: weakness
conclusion is not seen as complete
Ainsworth conceived of three attachment types; insecure-avoidant, secure and insecure-resistant.
However, Main and Soloman pointed out that a minority of children display atypical attachment that do not fall within types A, B or C behaviour. This atypical attachment is commonly known as disorganised attachment.
Evaluation: weakness
controversial
The Strange Situation measures a child’s responses to the anxiety produced by being in an unfamiliar environment. The controversy arises in whether the main influence on the anxiety is attachment.
Jerome Kagan has suggested that temperament, the genetic influenced personality of the child, is a more important influence on behaviour in the Strange Situation than attachment
