Mary Ainsworth Strsnge Situation Amd Research Into Attachment

Question 0

What are three types of attachment that ainsworth found?

Answer 0

Securely attached: children were contented and pacified by the presence of their mother

Insecurity attachment: children were less inclined to explore and cried frequently, even when mother was present

Not yet attached: children were indifferent to then presence of their mothers

Question 1

What was ainsworth initia investigation and what type of research methods did she use?

Answer 1

Ainsworth investigated mother-child relationships in six-villages in Uganda. She observed and interviewed mothers and their children’s over many months and for several hours at a time in their natural environment

Ainsworth used naturalistic observation and interviews

Question 2

What did ainsworth conclude from her early research into attachment

Answer 2

She concluded that mothers who were irresponsible to the infants needs were more likely to have a secure attachment. She called this maternal sensitivity.

Question 3

Describe the procedure of ainsworth strange situation?

Answer 3

The procedure was developed by Mary ainsworth to study individual differences in attachment types between child and care giver

It involved a structured observation of parent-child interaction in a room with toys and chairs, over series of 8 three minute episodes

The idea is that the infant displays different behaviour towards their primary caregiver and towards the stranger according to the security of attachment
The researcher observes the interaction through a one-way mirror and cateogrises the attachment into secure, anxious avoidant or anxious resistant

Question 4

What is the aim of ainsworths research into individual differences in attachment type?

Answer 4

To use the strange situation to understand different attachment types formed by children in America

Question 5

What are the 4 procedures to ainsworths research into individual differences in attachment type?

Answer 5

56 American Middle class infants aged 12-18 months were observed in the strange situation

The room in which the strange situation took place is a laboratory set up with chairs and toys to be comfortable for the pps and one-way mirror for the observation

Pps included parent, infant,and stranger.there are 8 steps in the strange situation, each step lasting for 3 minutes

These steps include how the child responded to the stranger, seperation from the mother and reunion with mother

Question 6

What is the percentage of infants that had a secure attachment with their mothers?

Answer 6

65%

Question 7

How did the infant in secure attachment type react on entering room?

Answer 7

They explored the room and played independently using mother as a safe base

Question 8

In the secure attachment condition what was the infants reaction to separation and when seeking reunion with mother ?

Answer 8

When seperated from mother, infant was upset and distressed when mother left

Seeks comfort and is happy mother returns and is quickly settled and calmed. Exploratory behaviour resumes

Question 9

What is the percentage in anxious avoidant types

Answer 9

23%

Question 10

What is the reaction upon entering room in anxious avoidant attachment:

Answer 10

Explores the room and plays independently

Question 11

What is the reaction to stranger in anxious avoidant?

Answer 11

Plays with stranger regardless of mothers presence and does not check for mothers presence

Question 12

What was the reaction to seperation from mum in the anxious avoidant

Answer 12

Is not distressed at mothers absence and can seek comfort from mothers presence

Question 13

What is the reaction to reunion with mother in the anxious avoidant AttAchment

Answer 13

Shows no interest in mothers return

Question 14

What is the percentage of infants that developed an anxious resistant attachment?

Answer 14

12%

Question 15

What the reaction on entering room in anxious resistant?

Answer 15

Is fearful and stays close to mother, does not explore the room

Question 16

Reaction to separation in anxious resistant

Answer 16

Shows fear of stranger and avoids the stranger with or without the mother being present

Question 17

What is the reaction to separation from mother in anxious resistant

Answer 17

The child is extremely distressed

Question 18

What is the reaction to reunion with mother in the anxious resistant

Answer 18

Child wants comfort from the mother but may push her away when approached and resists comfort even if it is desired

Question 19

What are the 4 conclusions of ainsworth research into individual differences in attachment types?

Answer 19

Differences in attachment are related to the behaviour of the care giver

If a mother is unresponsive to the child’s needs the child feels rejected and unworthy and is more likely to develop an anxious avoidant attachment

If a mother is sensitive, consistent and responsive to the child, reacting positively and appropriately, the child is more likely to develop a secure attachment

If a mother is inconsistent in responding to the child’s needs e.g. Responsive one minute and rejecting the next, the child is more likely to develop an anxious resistant attachment

Question 20

Why is the strange situation high in reliability and objectivity?

Answer 20

This is because it uses standardised procedures involving time episodes and observation schedules

Research has shown that when then the children are retested, attachment type has remained stable as long as the family circumstances have remained the same

Question 21

How does the meta analysis of 38 cross cultural studies using the strange situation find

Answer 21

That secure attachment was the main type of attachment which demonstrates reliability of the findings.

Anxious resistant and avoidant attachment types were also observed in other countries, again showing consistencyb

Question 22

How is the strange situation low in ecological validity and how may this affect behaviour?

Answer 22

The procedure takes place in an artificial room which is unfamiliar and unnatural to the child

This may affect their behaviour suggesting that the findings might not generalise to real life situations e.g. At home

Question 23

What are the ethical issues in the strange situation and how can it be minimised?

Answer 23

It fails to protect the child from harm. A child who has secure or resistant attachment type can become very distressed

However if the child becomes too distressed the procedure is stopped which makes it ethically sound

Question 24

In what way does the strange situation procedure and ainSworth procedure could be understood to not control for individual differences

Answer 24

This is because ainsworth assumes that the attachment type is caused by maternal sensitivity , when in actual fact attachment could be determined by the child’s temperament instead

For example even sensitive parents may not be able to form secure attachment with difficulties

Question 25

What positive contributions to society does Ainsworth procedure and research produce?

Answer 25

It helps identify parent and children with an insecure attachment type

Parents can then be educated on how they should respond to their children sensitively in order to create a secure attachment