Attachment - Ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

What behaviours were measured in Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 1

• Proximity to mother
• Exploration/secure base
• Stranger anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Reunion response
• The sensitive responsiveness of the mother to the infants needs

Question 2

What were the 3 attachment types that Ainsworth identified?

Answer 2

• Type A, Insecure avoidant
• Type B, Secure
• Type C, Insecure resistant

Question 3

What were the behaviours that were seen in a child that was categorised as insecure avoidant? (Type A)

Answer 3

• Keeps a distance from mother
• Infant doesn’t use mother as a secure base but explores anyway
• Low stranger anxiety
• Low separation anxiety
• Infant won’t get comfort from mother when she returns
• Little sensitive responsiveness from the mother

Question 4

What were the behaviours that were seen in a child that was categorised as secure? (Type B)

Answer 4

• Infant uses their mother as a safe base as they explore
• High stranger anxiety
• Moderate separation anxiety
• Happy reunion response, then return to exploration
• Caregivers show sensitive responsiveness

Question 5

What were the behaviours that were seen in a child that was categorised as insecure resistant? (Type C)

Answer 5

• Infant doesn’t explore
• Infant is inconsistent in wanting closeness or distance from the mother
• High stranger anxiety
• High separation anxiety
• Unable to settle when reunited with the mother (Rejects the mother)
• The mother shows inconsistent sensitive responsiveness

Question 6

What was Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 6

• Ainsworth’s strange situation was a study with infants (12-18 months old) and mothers
• It was a structured observation in a controlled lab setting
• Infants behaviour in response to a stranger and mothers’ actions were recorded
• The findings provided evidence for the 3 distinct attachment types which correlated with the sensitive responsiveness of the mother

Question 7

What is an advantage of Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 7

-The strange situation study is a highly controlled observational study with a clear standardised procedure that is easily replicable

Question 8

What is an advantage of Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 8

-The strange situation study is well respected and it is the standardised diagnostic tool used to measure caregiver-infant relationships

Question 9

What is a disadvantage of Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 9

• The findings from the experiment could be seen as culturally bias
• This is because the more common attachment type in American/English culture is viewed as “secure” but the attachment types that are more common in other cultures are labelled “insecure”

Question 10

What is a disadvantage of Ainsworth’s strange situation study?

Answer 10

-Observations are only a snapshot of behaviour as they don’t take into consideration relationship with others or home behaviours, differing from behaviours shown in the study

Question 11

What is sensitive responsiveness?

Answer 11

-The extent to which a primary caregiver responds to an infants signals

Question 12

What is the process of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 12

-The parent and infant are alone in the room
[Tests exploration and secure base behaviour]
-A stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child
[Tests for stranger anxiety]
-The caregiver leaves the room and the stranger interacts with the infant
[Tests for separation anxiety and stranger anxiety]
-The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves
[Tests the reunion response]
-The caregiver leaves the room again and the infant is left alone
[Tests for separation anxiety]
-A stranger enters and approaches the infant
[Tests for stranger anxiety]
-The caregiver returns and greets the infant
[Tests the reunion response]