Ainsworths strange situation Flashcards
What was Ainsworth interested in?
Individual differences in attachment
What was Ainsworth’s aim?
To study infant attachment under conditions of mild stress and novelty by observing the infants behaviours
What behaviours was Ainsworth looking for?
Exploration from secure base behaviour
Proximity seeking
Stranger anxiety
Response to reunion
Separation anxiety
What type of study was the strange situation?
Controlled observation
Lab study
What was the first stage of the strange situation?
Child and caregiver enter an unfamiliar room and play together
What was the second stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The child is encouraged to play and explore independently - the caregiver watches
Exploration and secure base behaviour, proximity seeking
What was the third stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
A stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child
Stranger anxiety, proximity seeking
What was the fourth stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The caregiver leaves the child and stranger together - stranger offers comfort if needed
Separation anxiety, stranger anxiety
What was the fifth stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves - caregiver offers comfort if needed
Response to reunion, exploration from secure base behaviour
What was the sixth stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The caregiver leaves the child alone
Separation anxiety
What was the seventh stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The stranger returns - offers comfort if needed
Stranger anxiety
What was the eighth stage of the strange situation?
What behaviours were they looking for?
The caregiver returns and is reunited with the child - offers comfort if needed
Response to reunion
What are the three types of attachments?
Insecure avoidant (type A)
Secure (type B)
Insecure resistant (type C)
What percentages of children showed each attachment type?
Insecure avoidant - 15%
Secure - 70%
Insecure resistant - 15%
Describe the secure attachment type
Children explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver
Usually show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety
Require and accept comfort from the caregiver in reunion stage
Describe the insecure avoidant attachment type
Children explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
Show little or no reaction when caregiver leaves, make little effort to make contact when they return
Show little stranger anxiety
Do not require comfort at reunion stage
Describe insecure resistant attachment type
Children seek greater proximity than others and so explore less
Show huge stranger and separation distress
Resist comfort when reunited with caregiver
Evaluate the strange situation (later development)
Attachment type as defined by the strange situation is strongly predictive of later development
A large body of research has shown that infants measured as type B tend to have better outcomes than others, both in later childhood and adulthood. In childhood, this includes things such as better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying
This suggests that the strange situation measures something real and meaningful in a baby’s development
Evaluate the strange situation (inter rater reliability)
The strange situation show very good inter rater reliability
Bick et al (2002) tested inter rater reliability in the strange situation for a team of trained observers and found agreement on attachment types in 94% of cases
This means that we can be confident that attachment type as assessed by the strange situation does not depend on subjective judgement
Evaluate the strange situation (attachment types)
There may be more than 3 attachment types
Main and Solomon (1986) identified a fourth category of attachment - disorganised or type D, a mix of avoidant and resistant behaviours
However, type D babies are unusual and generally experienced some form of neglect or abuse. Most will go on to develop psychological disorders by adulthood.
