the strange situation

Question 1

who developed the strange situation

Answer 1

Ainsworth

Question 2

Ainsworth’s aim

Answer 2

observe key attachment behaviour as a means of assessing the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver

Question 3

the strange situation research method

Answer 3

a controlled,overt,non-participant observation

Question 4

the strange situation procedure

Answer 4

it takes place in a laboratory with a two-way mirror through which psychologists can observe the infant’s behaviour

Question 5

the strange situation participants

Answer 5

Ainsworth studied 9-18 month old babies+their mothers

Question 6

name the 8 episodes

Answer 6

1)child and care giver enter an unfamiliar playroom
2)the child is encouraged to explore
3)a stranger enters the room and tries to interact with the child
4)the caregiver leaves the stranger and child
5)the caregiver returns and the stranger leaves
6)the caregiver leaves the child alone
7)the stranger returns
8)the caregiver returns + is reunited w/ child

Question 7

what behaviours did these episodes test

Answer 7

safe base behaviour
stranger anxiety
separation anxiety
reunion behaviour

Question 8

ainsworth et l’s findings on attachment types

Answer 8

she identified three attachment types:
-secure attachment
-insecure avoidant attachment
-insecure resistant avoidant

Question 9

secure attachment

Answer 9

-infants use their care givers as a safe base
-proximity seeking behaviour ( after explore)
-moderate separation+stranger anxiety
-accept comfort from caregivers in the reunion stage

Question 10

insecure avoidant attachment

Answer 10

-children explore without using caregivers as a secure base
-low stranger and separation anxiety
-indifferent reunion behaviour

Question 11

insecure resistant attachment

Answer 11

-unwilling to explore ,constantly seek proximity
-high stranger and separation anxiety
-resist comfort during reunion w/ caregivers(angry reunion)

Question 12

what % of British children have secure attachments + what kind of mothers do they have

Answer 12

60-75%
sensitive mothers with whom they formed trusting , loving attachments

Question 13

what % of British children have insecure attachments + what kind of mothers do they have

Answer 13

20-25%

Question 14

what % of British children have insecure resistant attachment

Answer 14

3%

Question 15

strength of strange situation

Answer 15

conducted in a controlled setting

all the children are placed in the same testing room and exposed to the same 8 scripted episodes. This means that that all extraneous variables are standardised across participants.e.g: the stranger behaved in the exact same way to each child. This is a strength of the research, as this means the children’s behaviour is less likely to be be influenced by extraneous variables, like the small differences in how the stranger behaves .this means the results of the study are more likely to be valid.