Measuring Attachment: Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Types Of Attachment: Secure, Insecure-avoidant, Insecure-resistant Flashcards
Measuring attachment:
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1 proximity seeking (staying close to caregiver)
2 exploration and secure base behaviour
(Feel confident to explore using carer as a safe base)
3 Stranger anxiety
4 Seperation anxiety
5 Response on reunion
What is a strange situation?
A controlled observation designed to test attachment security.
Infants are assessed on their response to playing in an unfamiliar room
being left alone,
left with a stranger
and being reunited with a caregiver.
Who devised the ‘strange situation’ technique?
Mary Ainsworth.
The strange situation procedure has been replicated many times and has become a standard method for measuring type and quality of attachment.
What was the aim of Ainsworth’s ‘the strange situation’ study?
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To investigate the reactions of young children to periods of brief separation from their mothers; to determine
the nature of attachment behaviours
the different types of attachment.
Describe the method of Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’ study
Aim
Method - who took part, environment, stages.
Ainsworth developed a controlled observational procedure in order to observe the nature and types of attachments between mothers and infants.
The experiment is set up in
a small room with a two way mirror toys scattered around it - a novel environment to the infants.
so can be observed by a researcher through a two-way mirror and detailed notes are taken.
The researcher rated the intensity of the behaviour on a scale of 1-7 (7 being the most intense). The intensity of behaviours such as ‘proximity seeking’ and ‘stranger anxiety’ was rate every 15 seconds during each episode
There were seven stages: each 3 minutes long which are increasingly stressful for infant
How old were in the infants taking part in the study?
12-18 months
how many episodes were they observed in, and how long did they last?
Seven 3 minutes episodes which became increasingly stressful for infant
Was it an overt observation or a covert observation?
Covert observation as the researcher was watching the infant’s behaviour through a two-way mirror without their knowledge
Was it a structured or an unstructured observation?
It was unstructured as she wrote down everything that she saw
The intensity of behaviours such as ‘proximity seeking’ and ‘stranger anxiety’ was rated at what time intervals?
Every 15 seconds during each episode
What were the sequence of stages and what was the research testing?
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1.) mother and baby enter the room, the child is encouraged to explore
(Proximity seeking + exploration + secure base behaviour)
A stranger enters
(Stranger anxiety)
Mother leaves the room
(Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety)
Mother returns and stranger leaves
(response on return)
Mother leaves child on its own
(separation anxiety)
Stranger returns and approaches infant with a toy
(Stranger anxiety)
Mother returns and stranger leaves
(Response on reunion)
What were the results of Ainsworth’s ‘the strange situation’ study?
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There are three main types of attachment and these are associated with different attachment behaviours.
key thing that determines attachment type is the mother’s sensitivity and responsiveness to the child.
What is secure attachment?
It is considered the most desirable attachment type, associated with psychologically healthy outcomes.
In the strange situation it is shown by moderate stranger and separation anxiety
ease of comfort on reunion.
What is insecure-avoidant attachment?
An attachment type characterised by low anxiety but weak attachment
In the strange situation this is shown by low stranger and separation anxiety and little response on reunion with the caregiver.
What is insecure-resistant attachment?
An attachment type characterised by strong attachment and high anxiety.
In the strange situation, this is characterised by high levels of stranger and separation anxiety and by resistance to be comforted on reunion.
