Lesson 7- Ainsworth’s Strange Situation- types of attachment- secure, insecure-resistant & insecure-avoidant Flashcards
What does type of attachment mean and how can it be tested?
Type of attachment- type of relationship between 👶 & caregiver- tested using The Strange Situation
List the 8 episodes & state what happens in each (method of the strange station)
1) Parent and infant play
2) Parents sits while infant plays
3) Stranger enters and talks to parent
4) Parent leaves, infant plays, stranger offers comfort if needed
5) Parent returns, offers comfort to infant if needed, stranger leaves
6) Parent leaves – infant is alone
7) Stranger enters and offers comfort
8) Parent returns, greets infant and offers comfort
What behaviour does each of the 8 episodes assess?
1) -
2) Use of parent as secure base
3) Stranger anxiety
4) Separation anxiety
5) Reunion behaviour
6) Separation anxiety
7) Stranger anxiety
8) Reunion behaviour
How was the data collected & how frequently?
Data collected by group of observers- record what infant is doing every 15 seconds
What were the 3 attachment types identified?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)
2) Secure (type B)
3) Insecure resistant (type C)
What was the willingness to explore for each of the 3 attachment types?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- HIGH
2) Secure (type B)- HIGH
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- LOW
What was the stranger anxiety for each of the 3 attachment types?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- LOW
2) Secure (type B)- HIGH
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- HIGH
What was the separation anxiety for each of the 3 attachment types?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- INDIFFERENT
2) Secure (type B)- SOME TO EASY SOOTHE
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- DISTRESSED
What was the behaviour at reunion with caregiver for each of the 3 attachment types?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- AVIODS CONTACT
2) Secure (type B)- ENTHUSIASTIC
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- SEEKS & REJECTS
What percentage of children fell into each of the 3 attachment types?
1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- 15%
2) Secure (type B)- 70%
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- 15%
What are 3 similarities between the 3 attachment types?
1) Exploratory 🏃♂ ⬇️ in all infants from episode 2 onwards BUT amount of crying ⬆️
2) Proximity- proximity to caregiver ⬆️ during separation & when stranger appeared
3) Contact-resisting & proximity-avoiding 🏃♂ occurred rarely towards caregiver prior to separation
What are interactions like with children securely attached (type B)?
Harmonious & cooperative interactions caregiver
What are interactions like with children an insecure avoidant attachment (type A)?
Avoid social interaction & intimacy with others
What are interactions like with children with an insecurely resistant attachment (type C)?
Seek & reject intimacy & social interaction
How do children with a secure attachment (type B) respond to separation?
⬇️ likely to 😭 inconsolably if caregiver leaves room
How do children with a insecure avoidant attachment (type A) respond to separation?
Show little response to separation
How do children with a insecure resistant (type C) respond to separation?
Respond to separation from caregiver with immediate & intense distress
When anxious what is the reaction of securely attached infants?
When anxious 😥- seek close bodily contact with caregiver & easily soothed BUT reluctant to leave caregiver’s side prematurely
What is exploration like with securely attached infants?
Use caregiver as secure base from which to explore & … able to function independently
What is exploration like with infants who have an insecure avoidant attachment?
Happy to explore with or without presence of caregiver
What is reunion like with infants who have an insecure avoidant attachment?
Do not seek proximity of caregiver on reunion
What is exploration like with infants who have an insecure resistant attachment?
Reunion- conflicting desires for & against contact- 😡 resist being picked up while also trying other means to maintain proximity
How do securely attached infants interact with others?
Seek & comfortable with social interaction & intimacy with others
Which of the 3 attachment types are anxious & shy & may become angry if their attachment needs aren’t met?
Insecure avoidant (type A)
What’s another name given to type A attachment insecure avoidant?
Anxious-avoidant
What are the evaluation points of the strange situation?
👎- ✖️ ethical- caused possible psychological 🧠 harm to 👶 when briefly separated from caregiver in some episodes- although intention mild distress- acceptability to do to 👶 questioned- in episode 6 20% of 👶 reportedly cried 😭 ‘desperately’- stopped in some countries e.g. 🇯🇵 at episode 6 because infants crying uncontrollably
👍- reliability- reliability of ‘strange situation’ assessed using inter-rater reliability & found almost perfect agreement between raters (0.94 where 1.00 = perfect) on 🏃♂ 👀 … strange situation reliable- 👶 🏃♂ agreed
👎- ⬇️ ecological validity- ✖️ reflect real life 🏃♂- carried out in controlled environment … 🧒 may ✖️ be behaving naturally, caregiver may ✖️ be behaving naturally (knows being observed)-> affect 👶’s 🏃♂
👍- Real world application- disordered patterns of attachment between 👶 & caregiver solved by intervention strategies e.g. ‘Circle of Security’ project (teaches caregivers to understand 👶’s signals of distress better & ⬆️ their understanding of what it feels to be anxious- SUCCESS- showed ⬇️ in no. of caregivers classified as disordered (60%-> 15%) & ⬆️ in securely attached 👶 (32%-> 40%)
