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.
How might exploration and secure base behaviour demonstrate a good or secure attachment?
It’s shows that the infant is confident enough to explore as they know the carer will always be there as a secure/safe base.
Strange situation results
Secure attachment:
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Exploration and safe base
Stranger and separation anxiety
Response on Reunion
Secure Attachment (Type B)
•about 65% of American infants showed this pattern of behaviour. 60-75% when replicated with British toddlers.
•infants who are securely attached to their caregiver show a high willingness to explore their novel environment, using the mother as a secure base.
•they show moderate levels of stranger anxiety - they were wary of the stranger and preferred the mother
•when the mother leaves they show separation anxiety, characterised by moderate levels of stress
•when the mother returns they show joy when reunited and are happy to see her.
Strange situation results
Insecure avoidant attachment (Type A)
%
Exploration and safe base
Stranger and separation anxiety
Response on Reunion
Insecure-avoidant (Type A)
•about 20% of American infants showed this pattern of behaviour. 20-25% British
•high willingness to explore their environment, but they seem to ignore the mother when she is in the room.
•they show low levels of stranger anxiety
•when the mother leaves they show low separation anxiety (distress) - do not seem to be affected when the mother leaves
•when the mother returns they show little joy and do not seek comfort from her
Strange situation results
Insecure resistant attachment
%
Exploration and safe base
Stranger and separation anxiety
Response on Reunion
Insecure-resistant attachment (Type C)
•about 15% of American infants showed this pattern of behaviour. 3% when replicated with British toddlers
•low willingness to explore their environment, they stay close to the mother
seem very distressed in their new surroundings and were ‘clingy’
•they show high levels of stranger anxiety, became more distressed when they were approached by them
•when the mother leaves they showed extreme separation anxiety
EVALUATION OF THE STRANGE SITUATION
2 advantages
2 limitations
Strength: High predictive validity
Strength: good inter rater reliability
Limitation: culture bound test (TAKAHASHI)
Libation: temperament (KAGAN)
EVALUATION OF THE STRANGE SITUATION
Strength: Predictive validity
Different types of attachment seen in strange situation can predict future behaviour
E.g secure babies - high success at schoo and longer lasting relationships
Insecure resistant- more prone to bullying and adult health mental illness
Strength as it has high validity in explaining future outcomes
EVALUATION OF THE STRANGE SITUATION
Strength: Good inter rater reliability
Different observers can observe the same behaviour at the same time as it is a controlled observation.
Easy to observe and make behavioural categories and compare results
Strength as we can be confident that the attachment types seen in the strange distinction are not concluded by observer bias
EVALUATION OF THE STRANGE SITUATION
Limitation: culture bound
Takahashi: Japanese mothers rarely desperate from infants (norm) so culture norm is to have high seleration and high stranger anxiety. USA and Europe classify high anxieties as insecure resistant although this is based upon westernised culture
Limitation as 3 attachment types and behaviours associated with it cannot be applied to all.
EVALUATION OF THE STRANGE SITUATION
Limitation : Temperament confounding variable
Temperament is a persons genitically influenced personality e.g genes make people more anxious/ more confident.
Kegan - temperament has a more important influence on behaviour rather than quality of attachment
Limitation as behaviour observed may not be down to attachment types but temperament.
