The Strange Situation

Question 1

Who conducted the strange situation?

Answer 1

Ainsworth

Question 2

What did the experiment involve?

Answer 2

She used a controlled observation and observed 100 middle class American infants aged between 12 to 18 months, their mothers and also a stranger. It was designed to become increasingly stressful for the infant and there were three main sources of stress- the child being placed in a unfamiliar environment, caregiver leaving the child and a stranger coming into the room. Four major observations were made

Question 3

What are the four major observations?

Answer 3

1. The child’s reaction to the caregiver leaving (separation anxiety)
2. Their reaction when the caregiver returned (reunion behaviour)
3. The child’s reaction to the stranger (stranger anxiety)
4. The child’s willingness to explore the environment (exploration behaviour)

Question 4

What were the three different types of attachment that were found?

Answer 4

Insecure avoidant, securely attached and insecure resistant

Question 5

What percentage of children were insecure avoidant?

Answer 5

15%

Question 6

What are the characteristics of insecure avoidant?

Answer 6

There are few signs of distress when the mum leaves the room, the baby ignores the mother when she returns, the baby is easily comforted by the stranger and the infants are willing to explore

Question 7

What percentage of children were securely attached?

Answer 7

70%

Question 8

What are the characteristics of securely attached?

Answer 8

They can be distressed when the mum leaves, is easily comforted by the mother on return, plays happily when the stranger is present but not comforted when they leave and the infants are keen to explore

Question 9

What percentage of children were insecure resistant?

Answer 9

15%

Question 10

What are the characteristics of insecure resistant?

Answer 10

Very distressed when the mum leaves, may go to the mother on return but will not be comforted, they will actively resist the strangers efforts to make contact and the infants are unwilling to explore

Question 11

What can you use as strengths and limitations for the strange situation?

Answer 11

The strengths and limitations of a lab

Question 12

What are three extra limitations to the strange situation?

Answer 12

There may be individual differences as children who have been in day care may appear to be insecure avoidant because they are being separated from their mother which reduces the validity of the results. It lacks population validity as the original study used middle class American infants so it cannot be generalised to the wider population and there may be ethical issues as the experiment was stressful for the infants