Attachments - Strange Situation by Ainsworth Flashcards
Full procedure of Ainsworth study (8 steps)
- Mother and baby in room
- Baby explores room
- Stranger comes into room. After a few minutes that stranger begins to interact with the baby
- Mother leaves room and stranger tries to comfort baby
- Mother returns to room and stranger leaves
- Mother leaves room, leaving baby alone
- Stranger returns to comfort baby
- Mother returns and stranger leaves
Research method used by Ainsworth
Controlled observations of 12-18 month olds and their mothers
How were the infants and their mothers observed?
Using a video camera in a laboratory play room
When did Ainsworth devise this study?
1970s
What was Ainsworth’s aim?
To observe attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships
What did Ainsworth’s research focus on?
Stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and reunion behaviour
In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate stranger anxiety?
- Stranger comes into room and after a few minutes, begins to interact with baby
- Stranger returns to comfort baby
In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate separation anxiety?
- Mother leaves room and stranger tried to comfort baby
- Mother leaves room, leaving baby alone
In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate reunion behaviour?
- Mother returns to room and stranger leaves
- Mother returns and stranger leaves
What three broad types of attachment did Ainsworth develop?
Insecure-avoidant attachment
Secure attachment
Insecure-resistant attachment
Secure attachment - Safe base
Will use mothers as safe base to explore their environment
Secure attachment - Separation anxiety
Mildly distressed when mother leaves
Secure attachment - Stranger anxiety
Cautious of stranger when alone but friendly when mother is present
Secure attachment - Reunion behaviour
Happy when mother returns
Secure attachment - % of infants
68% of infants had a secure attachment
Insecure-resistant attachment - Safe base
Infant doesn’t explore
Insecure-resistant attachment - Separation anxiety
Infant shows signs of intense distress
Insecure-resistant attachment - Stranger anxiety
Infant avoids stranger
Insecure-resistant attachment - Reunion behaviour
Child approaches mother, but resists contact by pushing her away or rejecting it
Insecure-resistant attachment - % of infants
12% of infants demonstrated insecure-resistant attachment
Insecure-avoidant attachment - Safe base
Explores but doesn’t come back and use mother as safe base
Insecure-avoidant attachment - Separation anxiety
Infant shows no sign of distress when mother leaves
Insecure-avoidant attachment - Stranger anxiety
Infant isn’t distressed with stranger and plays normally when they are present
Insecure-avoidant attachment - Reunion behaviour
Infant shows no interest when mother returns
Insecure-avoidant attachment - % of infants
20% of infants had an insecure-avoidant attachment
Secure caregiver sensitivity
Attached infants have mothers who are more sensitive, accepting and co-operative to their needs
Insecure caregiver sensitivity
Mother is unresponsive to crying and less affectionate
Insecure-avoidant caregiver sensitivity
Mothers are more rejecting and pay less attention to their children
Insecure-resistant caregiver sensitivity
Mothers tended to be occupied with routine activities when holding the child
What variables are controlled during this study? (Positive evaluation)
Extraneous variables
Why does this study lack ecological validity? (Negative evaluation)
Because it was carried out in a controlled environment, and therefore the children may of acted differently to how they would have in a familiar environment
What allows replication in this study? (Positive evaluation)
Standardised procedures
What is the sole focus of this study on? (Negative evaluation)
Mother-child relationship rather than father-child relationships
How could this study have ethical considerations? (Negative evaluation)
It isn’t right to put a baby through distress for an experiment
How does this study have a possible cultural bias? (Negative evaluation)
Only carried out on M/C Americans
Who developed the temperament hypothesis? When?
Kagan in 1982
Temperament hypothesis: What are some infants born with that makes them more friendly? What does this cause?
Some infants are born with an innate personality that makes them more friendly and cause it to be easier for the mother or caregiver to be caring and nurturing
Temperament hypothesis: What are other infants born with (opposite to innate personality)? What does this cause?
Other infants are born with difficult personalities that makes it less likely that the mother will want to comfort them
Positive evaluation: Experiment was recorded on a video
This means the experiment can be replayed for further analysis
Negative evaluation: Why does this lack cultural validity?
Because it was only carried out in America which is an individualistic culture
Negative evaluation: Ethnocentric
Ainsworth expects other cultures to have the same values, norms and beliefs meaning the theory can apply to everyone
