Chapter 3 Attachment - Types of attachment

Question 1

The Strange Situation - Procedure?

Answer 1

• 7-stage controlled observation.
• Assesses proximity-seeking, exploration & secure base, stranger & separation anxiety, response to reunion.

Question 2

The Strange Situation - Findings? (types of attachment).

Answer 2

Babies show consistent patterns of attachment behaviour.

Types of attachment:
Secure - enthusiastic greeting, generally content, moderate anxiety.
Avoidant - avoids reunion, generally reduced responses.
Resistant - resists reunion, generally more distressed.

Question 3

Evalutation of the SS - Good predictive validity? S

Answer 3

• Attachment type predicts later social behaviour e.g. school success, bullying (McCormick et al., Kokkinos)
• CP is that Kagan suggests behaviour differences due to genetically-influenced anxiety levels.

Question 4

Evalutation of the SS - Good reliability? S

Answer 4

94% agreement between trained observers (Bick et al.)

Question 5

Evalutation of the SS - The test may be culture-bound? L

Answer 5

SS developed in Britain & US, other cultures have different experiences that affect behaviour in the SS (e.g. in Japan, Takahashi).

Question 6

Evalutation of the SS - Other attachment types? (X)

Answer 6

Also Type D (Main & Solomon), but related to abnormal experiences & outcomes.