Attachment: Strange Situation

Question 1

Who created the strange situation?

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth

Question 2

What were the 5 things being assessed in the strange situation?

Answer 2

• Proximity Seeking
• Secure Base Behaviour
• Stranger Anxiety
• Seperation Anxiety
• Response to reunion

Question 3

What is the methodology used in the strange situation?

Answer 3

Controlled observation.

Question 4

What did the strange situation lead to Ainsworth recognising?

Answer 4

3 types of attachments.

Question 5

What are the 3 types of attachments found through the strange situation?

Answer 5

• Secure Attachment
• Insecure-Avoidant
• Insecure-Resistant

Question 6

How do the 3 attachment types react at separation anxiety?

Answer 6

Secure: Distressed when mother leaves.
Insecure-Resistant: Signs of intense distress
Insecure-Avoidant: No signs of distress.

Question 7

How do the 3 attachment types react at Stranger Anxiety?

Answer 7

Secure: Avoidant of stranger but friendly when mother present
Insecure-Resistant: Avoids the stranger + fear of stranger
Insecure-Avoidant: Okay with stranger + plays normally.

Question 8

How do the 3 attachment types react when the mother returns?

Answer 8

Secure: Positive and happy on mothers return.
Insecure-Resistant: Approaches mother but resists contact (lacks trust)
Insecure-Avoidant: Shows little interest when mother returns.

Question 9

What are caregiver sensitivity factors affecting certain attachment types?

Answer 9

• Secure: Mothers are more sensitive, accepting and cooperative to child’s needs.
• Avoidant: Mothers more rejecting, pay less attention to child.
• Resistant: Mothers tended to be occupied with routine activities whilst holding child.

Question 10

What factors may affect attachment types?

Answer 10

• Mothers employment
• Illness
• Stress
• Marriage breakdown

Question 11

What did Ainsworth conclude from the strange situation in terms of sensitivity affect on attachment?

Answer 11

• Attachment differences depended upon the sensitivity of the mother.
• More sensitive = Secure attachment
• Less sensitive = Insecure attachment.

Question 12

What are positives of Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment?

Answer 12

• Efficient
• Easy to replicate
• Controlled observation; less EV’s

Question 13

What are issues with the strange situations?

Answer 13

• Low internal validity; no cause and effect
• Lack of generalisation/cultural validity (sample of middle-class Americans)
• Ethics (Infants distressed, informed consent)

Question 14

What study looked at Ainsworth’s theory across different cultures?

Answer 14

Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)

Question 15

What was the method of Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)

Answer 15

Completed a meta-analysis on 32 studies (around 2000 babies studies) across 8 countries.

Question 16

What was the results of Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)?

Answer 16

• Secure attachment was the most common in all cultures.
• E.g. Japan had the most resistant children. (individualistic culture - very rarely left by mother).
• Germany had most avoidant.

Question 17

Evaluation of Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988)?

Answer 17

+Sample sizes
+A meta-analysis generalise findings
-SS was designed for use in US and may not be valid measure of attachment in different child rearing cultures.