Outline and evaluate Ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

outline ainsworths study

Answer 1

Ainsworth (1969) used 106 North American infants, aged between 12 and 18 months, and observed them with their primary attachment figure in a controlled 9 x 9 room, using a standardised procedure.

Each infant experienced seven 3-minute episodes designed to show different attachment behaviours, including secure base behaviour, stranger and separation anxiety and reunion behaviour.

Using a one-way mirror, observations were made every 15 seconds to record an infant’s behaviour against 5 behavioural categories with more than 1 experimenter being used to carry out observations.

The intensity of each behaviour was scored 1-7 and from these observations, the quality of the attachment between infant and PAF was assessed.

Question 2

findings

Answer 2

The study found all infants explored and played with greater confidence when the PAF was present and explored with less confidence in the presence of a stranger and even less so when the PCG left the room.

Ainsworth however found infants show one of three attachment types: secure attachment (70%), insecure avoidant (15%) and insecure resistant (15%).

Insecure avoidants were more likely to ignore the mother and ignore or reject the stranger, not cry when the parent left the room and ignore the parents on her return by actively avoiding contact with her.

Those with a secure base played and explored with confidence whilst the parents were present, became upset when the parent left the room, preferred the parents to the stranger and were easily comforted by the parent on their return.

Insecure resistant infants stayed close to the parent and appeared clingy and appeared anxious even when the parent is near, were upset when the parent left the room and were not comforted by their return and simultaneously sought contact with the parent whilst resisting attempts to be comforted.

Question 3

strength 1

Answer 3

The concept of attachment types is valid as there is evidence to support the idea that attachment type predicts later development.

For example, securely attached babies typically have greater success at school and more lasting romantic relationships.

Conversely, insecure-resistant attachment is associated with the worst outcomes e.g. bullying and adult mental health problems.

This means that the concept of types of attachment has validity as it can explain future outcomes.

Question 4

strength 2

Answer 4

A strength is that the strange situation shows good inter-rater reliability.

Different observers watching the same children generally agree on attachment type. Bick et al. (2012) found 94% agreement in one team.

This may be because the strange situation takes place under controlled conditions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe.

Therefore, we can be confident that the attachment type of an infant identified in the strange situation does not depend on who is observing them.

Question 5

limit 1

Answer 5

A limitation is that the strange situation may be a culture-bound test.

This is because cultural differences in children’s experiences mean they respond differently; also caregivers from different cultures behave differently.

Takahashi notes that Japanese mothers are rarely separated from their infants; therefore, they show high levels of separation anxiety.

This means that the test may not have the same meaning in countries outside Western Europe and the USA.

Question 6

limit 2

Answer 6

A further limitation is that temperament may be a confounding variable.

Ainsworth assumed that the main influence on separation and stranger anxiety was the quality of the attachment,

however, Kagan (1982) suggested that temperament (the genetically influenced personality of the child) is a more important influence on behaviour in the strange situation.

This challenges the validity of the strange situation because it is meant to measure the quality of the attachment, not the temperament of the child.