Attachment: Ainsworth's Strange Situation Flashcards
what was Ainsworth’s study?
a procedure to assess how securely attached a child was to its caregiver and if it’s insecurely attached, tho assess which type of insecure attachment. a controlled observation conducted through a two-way mirror.
what were the 7 stages?
- caregiver enters, places child on floor and sits on chair. 2. stranger enters, talks to caregiver and approaches child with toy. 3. caregiver exits, stranger entertains/comforts child is needs be. 4. caregiver returns, stranger leaves. 5. once infant plays, caregiver leaves. 6. stranger enters and repeats step 3. 7. stranger leaves, caregiver returns
what’s secure attachment?
65%. infant shows seperation anxiety when caregiver leaves but is easily soothed when they return. they play independently but uses caregiver as safebase when exploring new environment.
what’s insecure resistant?
3%. infant is distressed and tries to follow caregiver. when returns, infant switches between seeking and rejecting social interaction and intimacy. they are less inclined to explore new environements.
what’s insecure avoidant?
20%. infant shows no seperation or stranger anxiety. may show anger or frustation towards carer and actively avoid social interaction or intimacy. they are able to explore and play independently.
how does the study lack ecologicaly validity?
conducted in a lab setting so variables were highly controlled. despite strict controll over confounding and extraneous variables increasing confidence that can be placed in drawing a ‘cause and effect’ relationship between the 2 outcomes. this isn’t representative of real life so lacks mundane realism and can’t be generalised. however the high control means it’s easily replicable so highly reliable.
what are the ethical issues involved? (A03)
20% of children cried desperately. this highlights how ethically inappropriate, as a large proportion of participants experienced psychological harm. this is unethical as it could cause long term emotional damage to the child for the sake of a study. a cost-benefit analysis needs to be conducted to assess if it’s worth it.
how does the study lack population validity? (A03)
it’s primarily based on western culture almost all of the studies are carried out in America. it suffers from cultural bias so less able to generalise findings and criteria to other cultures. this is particularly the case due to the individualist-collectivist divide alongside cultural differences of upbringing and experiences. this suggests the findings are culture bound and can’t be generalised.
