Attachments - Strange Situation by Ainsworth

Question 1

Full procedure of Ainsworth study (8 steps)

Answer 1

1. Mother and baby in room
2. Baby explores room
3. Stranger comes into room. After a few minutes that stranger begins to interact with the baby
4. Mother leaves room and stranger tries to comfort baby
5. Mother returns to room and stranger leaves
6. Mother leaves room, leaving baby alone
7. Stranger returns to comfort baby
8. Mother returns and stranger leaves

Question 2

Research method used by Ainsworth

Answer 2

Controlled observations of 12-18 month olds and their mothers

Question 3

How were the infants and their mothers observed?

Answer 3

Using a video camera in a laboratory play room

Question 4

When did Ainsworth devise this study?

Answer 4

1970s

Question 5

What was Ainsworth’s aim?

Answer 5

To observe attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships

Question 6

What did Ainsworth’s research focus on?

Answer 6

Stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and reunion behaviour

Question 7

In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate stranger anxiety?

Answer 7

3. Stranger comes into room and after a few minutes, begins to interact with baby
4. Stranger returns to comfort baby

Question 8

In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate separation anxiety?

Answer 8

4. Mother leaves room and stranger tried to comfort baby
5. Mother leaves room, leaving baby alone

Question 9

In what steps of the procedure could the baby demonstrate reunion behaviour?

Answer 9

5. Mother returns to room and stranger leaves
6. Mother returns and stranger leaves

Question 10

What three broad types of attachment did Ainsworth develop?

Answer 10

Insecure-avoidant attachment
Secure attachment
Insecure-resistant attachment

Question 11

Secure attachment - Safe base

Answer 11

Will use mothers as safe base to explore their environment

Question 12

Secure attachment - Separation anxiety

Answer 12

Mildly distressed when mother leaves

Question 13

Secure attachment - Stranger anxiety

Answer 13

Cautious of stranger when alone but friendly when mother is present

Question 14

Secure attachment - Reunion behaviour

Answer 14

Happy when mother returns

Question 15

Secure attachment - % of infants

Answer 15

68% of infants had a secure attachment

Question 16

Insecure-resistant attachment - Safe base

Answer 16

Infant doesn’t explore

Question 17

Insecure-resistant attachment - Separation anxiety

Answer 17

Infant shows signs of intense distress

Question 18

Insecure-resistant attachment - Stranger anxiety

Answer 18

Infant avoids stranger

Question 19

Insecure-resistant attachment - Reunion behaviour

Answer 19

Child approaches mother, but resists contact by pushing her away or rejecting it

Question 20

Insecure-resistant attachment - % of infants

Answer 20

12% of infants demonstrated insecure-resistant attachment

Question 21

Insecure-avoidant attachment - Safe base

Answer 21

Explores but doesn’t come back and use mother as safe base

Question 22

Insecure-avoidant attachment - Separation anxiety

Answer 22

Infant shows no sign of distress when mother leaves

Question 23

Insecure-avoidant attachment - Stranger anxiety

Answer 23

Infant isn’t distressed with stranger and plays normally when they are present

Question 24

Insecure-avoidant attachment - Reunion behaviour

Answer 24

Infant shows no interest when mother returns

Question 25

Insecure-avoidant attachment - % of infants

Answer 25

20% of infants had an insecure-avoidant attachment

Question 26

Secure caregiver sensitivity

Answer 26

Attached infants have mothers who are more sensitive, accepting and co-operative to their needs

Question 27

Insecure caregiver sensitivity

Answer 27

Mother is unresponsive to crying and less affectionate

Question 28

Insecure-avoidant caregiver sensitivity

Answer 28

Mothers are more rejecting and pay less attention to their children

Question 29

Insecure-resistant caregiver sensitivity

Answer 29

Mothers tended to be occupied with routine activities when holding the child

Question 30

What variables are controlled during this study? (Positive evaluation)

Answer 30

Extraneous variables

Question 31

Why does this study lack ecological validity? (Negative evaluation)

Answer 31

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

Question 32

What allows replication in this study? (Positive evaluation)

Answer 32

Standardised procedures

Question 33

What is the sole focus of this study on? (Negative evaluation)

Answer 33

Mother-child relationship rather than father-child relationships

Question 34

How could this study have ethical considerations? (Negative evaluation)

Answer 34

It isn’t right to put a baby through distress for an experiment

Question 35

How does this study have a possible cultural bias? (Negative evaluation)

Answer 35

Only carried out on M/C Americans

Question 36

Who developed the temperament hypothesis? When?

Answer 36

Kagan in 1982

Question 37

Temperament hypothesis: What are some infants born with that makes them more friendly? What does this cause?

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Temperament hypothesis: What are other infants born with (opposite to innate personality)? What does this cause?

Answer 38

Other infants are born with difficult personalities that makes it less likely that the mother will want to comfort them

Question 39

Positive evaluation: Experiment was recorded on a video

Answer 39

This means the experiment can be replayed for further analysis

Question 40

Negative evaluation: Why does this lack cultural validity?

Answer 40

Because it was only carried out in America which is an individualistic culture

Question 41

Negative evaluation: Ethnocentric

Answer 41

Ainsworth expects other cultures to have the same values, norms and beliefs meaning the theory can apply to everyone