Attachment Booklet 4: Ainsworths Strange Situation Flashcards
The strange situation is a procedure for measuring and assessing what?
The quality of attachment between the infant and mother
Who developed the strange situation, when?
Mary Ainsworth et al (1978)
What does the strange situation involve?
A series of episodes where the child is left alone, and a stranger comes in and out of the room
How many episodes does the strange situation involve?
Eight
Outline who is in all 8 stages
-Mother, baby and experimenter
-Mother and baby alone
-Stranger joins mother and infant
-Mother leaves stranger and baby alone
-Mother returns and stranger leaves
-Mother leaves infant alone
-Stranger returns
-Mother returns stranger leaves
What three types of attachment did ainsworth identify?
-Secure attachment
-Insecure avoidant
-Insecure resistant
What 4 procedures are examined in the strange situation?
- Exploration/safe base
- Separation anxiety
- Stranger anxiety
- Reunion behaviour
How did all three attachments respond to using the mother as a safe base
Secure - Uses mother as a safe base to explore
Avoidant - Explores without mother as safe base
Resistant - Very clingy to mother
How did all three attachments respond to separation anxiety?
Secure - Upset and moderately distressed
Avoidant - Unbothered and explores
Resistant - Extremely distressed
How did all three respond to stranger anxiety?
Secure - Wary of stranger, move closer to mother
Avoidant - Unconcerned
Resistant - High stranger anxiety, hot cold behaviour towards stranger (unsure how to act)
How did all three respond to reunion?
Secure - Joy on reunion, pleased
Avoidant - No joy on reunion, often ignores
Resistant - Wants comfort but angry and resists the comfort
Which attachment is type A, B and C?
A - Avoidant
B - Secure
C - Resistant
What does the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis conclude about Ainsworths study?
That a childs attachment style is dependent on the behaviour their mother shows towards them
What types of mothers does Ainsworth conclude are more likely to have securely attached children?
Sensitive mothers who respond to a childs needs, moods, feeling correctly
What does the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis suggest about each attachment style being a result of?
Secure - Close to baby, still independent
Resistant - Very close to infant
Avoidant - Less time for infant
