Lesson 7- Ainsworth’s Strange Situation- types of attachment- secure, insecure-resistant & insecure-avoidant

Question 1

What does type of attachment mean and how can it be tested?

Answer 1

Type of attachment- type of relationship between 👶 & caregiver- tested using The Strange Situation

Question 2

List the 8 episodes & state what happens in each (method of the strange station)

Answer 2

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

Question 3

What behaviour does each of the 8 episodes assess?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

How was the data collected & how frequently?

Answer 4

Data collected by group of observers- record what infant is doing every 15 seconds

Question 5

What were the 3 attachment types identified?

Answer 5

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)
2) Secure (type B)
3) Insecure resistant (type C)

Question 6

What was the willingness to explore for each of the 3 attachment types?

Answer 6

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- HIGH
2) Secure (type B)- HIGH
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- LOW

Question 7

What was the stranger anxiety for each of the 3 attachment types?

Answer 7

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- LOW
2) Secure (type B)- HIGH
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- HIGH

Question 8

What was the separation anxiety for each of the 3 attachment types?

Answer 8

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- INDIFFERENT
2) Secure (type B)- SOME TO EASY SOOTHE
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- DISTRESSED

Question 9

What was the behaviour at reunion with caregiver for each of the 3 attachment types?

Answer 9

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- AVIODS CONTACT
2) Secure (type B)- ENTHUSIASTIC
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- SEEKS & REJECTS

Question 10

What percentage of children fell into each of the 3 attachment types?

Answer 10

1) Insecure avoidant (type A)- 15%
2) Secure (type B)- 70%
3) Insecure resistant (type C)- 15%

Question 11

What are 3 similarities between the 3 attachment types?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What are interactions like with children securely attached (type B)?

Answer 12

Harmonious & cooperative interactions caregiver

Question 13

What are interactions like with children an insecure avoidant attachment (type A)?

Answer 13

Avoid social interaction & intimacy with others

Question 14

What are interactions like with children with an insecurely resistant attachment (type C)?

Answer 14

Seek & reject intimacy & social interaction

Question 15

How do children with a secure attachment (type B) respond to separation?

Answer 15

⬇️ likely to 😭 inconsolably if caregiver leaves room

Question 16

How do children with a insecure avoidant attachment (type A) respond to separation?

Answer 16

Show little response to separation

Question 17

How do children with a insecure resistant (type C) respond to separation?

Answer 17

Respond to separation from caregiver with immediate & intense distress

Question 18

When anxious what is the reaction of securely attached infants?

Answer 18

When anxious 😥- seek close bodily contact with caregiver & easily soothed BUT reluctant to leave caregiver’s side prematurely

Question 19

What is exploration like with securely attached infants?

Answer 19

Use caregiver as secure base from which to explore & … able to function independently

Question 20

What is exploration like with infants who have an insecure avoidant attachment?

Answer 20

Happy to explore with or without presence of caregiver

Question 21

What is reunion like with infants who have an insecure avoidant attachment?

Answer 21

Do not seek proximity of caregiver on reunion

Question 22

What is exploration like with infants who have an insecure resistant attachment?

Answer 22

Reunion- conflicting desires for & against contact- 😡 resist being picked up while also trying other means to maintain proximity

Question 23

How do securely attached infants interact with others?

Answer 23

Seek & comfortable with social interaction & intimacy with others

Question 24

Which of the 3 attachment types are anxious & shy & may become angry if their attachment needs aren’t met?

Answer 24

Insecure avoidant (type A)

Question 25

What’s another name given to type A attachment insecure avoidant?

Answer 25

Anxious-avoidant

Question 26

What are the evaluation points of the strange situation?

Answer 26

👎- ✖️ 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%)