Attachment Research

Question 1

What is the aim of Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation?

Answer 1

To investigate the security of an infant’s attachment to their primary caregiver

Question 2

What was the methods of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation ?

Answer 2

• participants = 12-18 month olds and mums
• 106 participants were observed
• controlled observation through one way mirror

Question 3

What were the 7 stages of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation?

Answer 3

1)child encouraged to explore- tests exploration and secure base
2)stranger enters and interacts w/ child- tests stranger anxiety
3)caregiver leaves- tests separation/stranger anxiety
4)caregiver returns and stranger leaves- tests reunion behaviour
5)caregiver leaves child alone- tests separation anxiety
6)stranger returns- tests stranger anxiety
7)caregiver returns and reunites w/ child- tests reunion behaviour

Question 4

What were the findings of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation?

Answer 4

Different types of attachments:
- 66% secure attachment
- 22% insecure avoidant
- 12% insecure resistant

Question 5

What are the conclusions of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 5

Sensitive responsiveness is crucial factor determining the quality of attachment between infant and primary caregiver

Question 6

Describe Secure attachment

Answer 6

• explore happily but regularly go back to PCG
• moderate stranger/separation anxiety
• accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage
• roughly 60-75% of British toddlers

Question 7

Describe Insecure-avoidant attachments

Answer 7

• explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
• little/no separation/stranger anxiety
• little effort making contact when CG returns
• don’t require comfort at reunion stage
• 20-25% of British toddlers

Question 8

Describe insecure-resistant attachments

Answer 8

• seek greater proximity so explore less
• huge stranger/separation anxiety
• resist comfort when reunited with carer
• around 3% of British toddlers

Question 9

What are some overall A03 of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Answer 9

-✅ support for validity
-✅good reliability
-❌may be culture bound

Question 10

Describe validity support as an A03 of the strange situation

Answer 10

• predictive of later development
• secure attachment = successfull relationships
• insecure resistant = worst outcomes
• increases validity as it explain subsequent outcomes

Question 11

Describe good reliability as an A03 point of the Strange Situation

Answer 11

• SS shows good inter-rater reliability
• Bick et al. found agreement on attachment types between strange situation observers
• shows that the attachment style identified is not dependent on who observes them

Question 12

Describe culture bound as an A03 of the Strange Situation

Answer 12

• does not have same meaning in countries outside of west
• different childhoods respond differently
• caregivers from different cultures respond differently
• Takahashi noted test doesn’t work in Japan as mothers are rarely separation from babies, so separation anxiety is high

Question 13

describe the Aim and method of Van Ijzendoorn and kroonenberg’s study regarding cultural variations in attachment

Answer 13

• AIM- to investigate cross-cultural variations in attachment
• METHOD :
  -conducted meta-analysis of 32 studies from 8 countries that used SS
  -over 1,990 infants included

Question 14

describe the results of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study regarding cultural variations in attachment

Answer 14

• secure attachment style is most common
• individualistic cultures show high levels of insecure-avoidant
• collectivist shows high levels of insecure resistant

Question 15

describe the conclusion of Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg’s study regarding cultural variations in attachment

Answer 15

• global trend reflects the US norm of secure attachment being the most common
• adds weight to argument that secure attachment is the optimal attachment for healthy development