Strange Situation

Question 1

What was the procedure of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation

Answer 1

Controlled observation
Room with quite controlled conditions
Two-way mirror and cameras that the psychologists used to observe behaviour

Question 2

What were the behaviours used to judge attachment

Answer 2

Proximity-seeking
Exploration and secure-base behaviour
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Response to Reunion

Question 3

What were the seven episodes of the procedure

Answer 3

1 Baby is encouraged to explore
2 A stranger comes in, talks to the caregiver and approaches the baby
3 The caregiver leaves the baby and the stranger together
4 The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves
5 The caregiver leaves the baby alone
6 The stranger returns
7 The caregiver returns and is reunited with the baby

Question 4

What were the types of attachment found

Answer 4

Type A=Insecure-avoidant
Type B=Secure
Type C=Insecure-resistant

Question 5

What does Insecure-avoidant attachment mean (TYPE A)

Answer 5

Babies explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour
Little or no reaction with stranger and anxiety and separation with caregiver
Make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns and may even avoid this contact
20-25% British babies classified

Question 6

What does Secure attachment mean (TYPE B)

Answer 6

Babies explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver
Show moderate separation anxiety and stranger anxiety
Securely attached babies require and accept comfort from the caregiver in reunion
60-75% British babies classified

Question 7

What does Insecure-resistant attachment mean (TYPE C)

Answer 7

Babies seek greater proximity than others and explore less
Show high levels of stranger and separation distress (sometimes extreme)
Resist comfort when reunited
Around 3% classified

Question 8

EVAL: What are the strengths of Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Answer 8

Good predictive validity-large body of research shown the Type B children tend to have better outcomes than others, in childhood, better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying (McCormick et al. 2016, Kokkinos 2007) Securely attached babies tend to have better mental health in adulthood (Ward et al. 2006). Those with Type C and not categorized by ABC
Good reliability- good inter-rater reliability, Johanna Bick et al. (2012) found agreement on attachment type in 94% of cases. Reliability may be because of controlled conditions and because behaviours (that were measured) can easily be observed. Waters (1978) assessed 50 infants at 12 and at 18 months using the SS procedure. Found clear evidence for stable individual differences using Ainsworth’s behaviour category data. Greatest consistency seen in reunion behaviour after separation. 48/50 infants observed were independently rated as being classified the same at 18 months

Question 9

EVAL: What are the limitations of Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’

Answer 9

Jerome Kagan (1982) suggested that genetically-influenced anxiety levels could account for variations in attachment behaviour in the Strange Situation and later development (may not actually measure attachment)
Low population validity- methodological criticism of Ainsworth's research is that it was limited to 100 middle class Americans and their infants, unlikely findings represent the whole population
Categories are not always applicable- Classification group Type D was subsequently identified by Main & Cassidy (1988), meaning not all infants fit into the three categories
Strange Situation was developed in Britain and the USA, so there is a possibility of it being culture-bound (ethnocentric). Cultures affect babies' experiences and this may affect their responses to the 'Strange Situation'. Keiko Takahashi (1986), Japanese study found babies displayed very high levels of separation anxiety so an unusual amount were classified as insecure-resistant. Takahashi (1990) suggests this is not from insecurity but the child's experience of being rarely separated from the mother.