strange situations Flashcards
who conducted the strange situations study?
Ainsworth et al- to systematically test the nature of attachment
what was the procedure used by Ainsworth et al?
a research room was used, marked into 16 squares. it was kitted with chairs and toys. there were 8 different episodes, in which caregiver and parent alternately left/stayed with the infant. the purpose of the episodes was to test for these behaviours:
1. use of parent as a secure base
2. stranger anxiety
3. separation from caregiver
4. reunion with caregiver.
the infant was observed/recorded during each episode
what did Ainsworth et al find?
they observed 106 infants and found similarities and differences.
similarities: exploratory behaviour after ep2 decreased and crying increased
differences: consistent clusters of different behaviours led to 3 different attachment types
what attachment types did Ainsworth find?
SECURE ATTACHMENT: a happy/contented attachment of infant to caregiver that develops as a result of sensitivity. the infant engages in positive exploration and uses the parent as a secure base
INSECURE AVOIDANT: the infant avoids social interactions and intimacies with others. they show little response on exploration and do not seek proximity of caregiver on reunion.
INSECURE RESISTANT: describes infants who both seek and reject interactions/intimacy with others. they show immediate distress upon seperation/stranger.
what is a limitation of strange situations? (4th attachment)
subsequent research has found a fourth attachment type that was overlooked by Ainsworth et al. it is called ‘insecure-disorganised’ and it is characterised by a lack of consistent patterns of social behaviours. these infants dont have a consistent attachment type and so lack a coherent strategy of dealing with the stress of separation. Van IJzendoorn found further support for this, when conducting a meta analysis it was found that: 62% secure, 15% insecure avoidant, 15% insecure disorganised and 8% insecure resistant. this implies ainsworth’s conclusions are not a full explanation
what is a strength of strange situations? (reliable)
when observers agree with measurements, there is a high inter-observer reliability. in strange situations, a group of experienced judges were presented with ratings/observations. there was an almost perfecting agreement when rating exploratory behaviours; the findings are reliable.
what is a strength of strange situations?(apps)
in situations where disordered pattern of attachment develop between infant and caregiver, intervention strategies can be developed. the circle of security project (cooper et al) teachers caregivers to better understand infants’ signals of distress. this project showed a decrease in the number of caregivers classified as disordered (60%->15%) and an increase in the number of securely attached infants (32%->40%). this supports the research on attachment types as it can be used to improve childrens lives
what is a limitation of strange situations (maternal reflective functioning)
ainsworth suggested that secure attachment is a result of maternal sensitivity, however Raval et al found a low correlation between maternal sensitivity and types of attachment. slade et al found a greater role for maternal reflective functioning. (the ability to understand what someone is thinking/feeling). this may be more important than sensitivity in the formation of attachments, which reduces validity.
