Chapter 2 - Types Of Attachment

Question 1

What is the “strange situation”?

Answer 1

Ainsworth observed children between the ages of 9-18 months to study attachment in controlled conditions.

Question 2

What is the procedure of the stranger situation?

Answer 2

Ainsworth uses observational methods to gather data and the behaviour is watched via a video link.

1. Mother and child
2. Child alone
3. Mother and stranger and child
4. Stranger and child
5. Reunion phase

Question 3

What is the most important stage in the strange situation and why?

Answer 3

The reunion phase has been found to be the most important in distinguishing between securely/insecurely attached children

Question 4

What is a positive point of the strange situation?

Answer 4

There are 2 opportunities for the observer to watch the child’s reaction which enhances the reliability of their conclusions.

Question 5

How do the different groups of infants react when they are alone with the carer?

Answer 5

S - explores room and plays with carer
A - child does not interact with carer
R - child does not explore the room but clings to carer

Question 6

How do the different groups of infants react when the carer leaves the room?

Answer 6

S - Child shows moderate distress, may cry and try and follow
A - Child shows little distress (doesn’t care)
R - Child shows severe distress

Question 7

How do the different groups of infants react when with the stranger?

Answer 7

S - moderate SA
A - low SA
R - high SA

Question 8

How do the different groups of infants react in the reunion phase?

Answer 8

S - easily comforted
A - doesn’t notice carer
R - child cries but isn’t easily comforted by carer

Question 9

What type of parents do securely attached infants have?

Answer 9

Carers who are emotionally available, supportive and sensitive to the child’s needs.

Question 10

What type of parents do insecure-avoidant infants have?

Answer 10

Carers who are rejecting of the child. The carer consistently fails to respond to the child’s reeds or gets angry and pushes the child away.

Question 11

What type of parents do insecure-resistant infants have?

Answer 11

Carers who are inconsistent in the way they react to the child.

Question 12

What did Mary Ainsworth identify during the 1960s and 1970s?

Answer 12

That babies are divided into 3 categories - secure, insecure resistant and insecure avoidant.

Question 13

Percentage of different attachment types in Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 13

S - 66%
A - 22%
R - 12%

Question 14

😀 of Ainsworth and Bells strange situation?

Answer 14

It provides figures with which we can compare with the findings of the strange situation of other cultures

Question 15

Ethical issue of the strange situation

Answer 15

• The infant is put under moderate physiological harm (distress) but it is necessary and only for a short period of time.
• By categorising children the caregiver may worry that they will identify as having an insecurely attached child

Question 16

Methodological issues with the strange situation

Answer 16

• low ecological validity
• observing all infants using the same procedure in the same surroundings have the researchers control of variables but it if was done in different conditions the findings would have been invalid