Ainsworth Strange Situation A01&3

Question 1

Ainsworth the strange situation

Answer 1

Ainsworth developed the strange situation as a method to asses the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver
It is a controlled observation procedure in a lab with a two way mirror through which psychologists can observe an infants behaviour

Question 2

Ainsworth procedure

Answer 2

Five categories are used to judge attachment quality
1.proximity seeking
2.exploration and secure-base behaviour
3.stranger anxiety
4.separation anxiety
5.response to reunion with the caregiver after separation for a short period of time

Question 3

Ainsworth Findings and conclusions: secure attachment

Answer 3

60-75%
•child happy to explore but seeks proximity with caregiver
•shows moderate separation and stranger anxiety
•requires and accepts comfort from caregiver on reunion

Question 4

Findings and conclusions: insecure-avoidant attachment

Answer 4

20-25%
•child explores freely but does not seek proximity
•shows little/no separation and stranger anxiety
•does not require comfort at the reunion stage

Question 5

Findings and conclusions: insecure-resistant attachment

Answer 5

•child explores less and seeks greater proximity
•shows considerable stranger and separation anxiety
•resists comfort when reunited with caregiver

Question 6

Strength of the strange situation

Answer 6

P-the strange situation shows very good Inter rater reliability
E-different observers watching the same children generallly agree on attachment type. Bick et al. found 94% agreement in one team
E-May be because the strange situation takes place under controlled conditions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe
L-we can be confident that the attachment type of an infant identified in the strange situation does not just depend on who is observing them

Question 7

Limitation of the strange situation

Answer 7

P-May be a culture bound test
E-takahashi notes that Japanese mothers are rarely separated from infants, thus the infants show high levels of separation anxiety
E-cultural differences in children’s experiences mean they respond differently, caregivers from different cultures behave differently

Question 8

Limitation of the strange situation

Answer 8

P-temperament may be a confounding variable
E-kagan suggests that temperament is a more important influence on behaviour in the strange situation
E-Ainsworth assumed that the main influence on separation and stranger anxiety was the quality of attachment
L-challenges the validity of the strange situation because it’s intention is to measure the quality of attachment not the temperament of the child

Question 9

Limitation

Answer 9

P-May be other attachment types
E-main and Solomon pointed out that some children display atypical attachments that do not fit types A,b and c
E-Ainsworth identified three attachment types:A B C
L-challenges ainsworths initial notion of attachment types and could question whether the Strange situation is a useful method to identify these types