the strange situation - Ainsworth

Question 1

what study did Ainsworth carry out and when?

Answer 1

the strange situation

1970

Question 2

what was Ainsworths Aim

Answer 2

To investigate indivual different attachment.

Question 3

who participated in the study?

Answer 3

infants aged between one year and 18 months were observed through video cameras in a laboratory playroom (lab observation- controlled)

Question 4

what was the procedure?

Answer 4

each stage lasted 3 minutes.

1. mother and infant alone. Infant left to explore.
2. stranger joins mother and child
3. stranger approaches infant
4. mother leaves infant and stranger alone
5. mother returns and the stranger leaves
6. mother leaves and infant is left completely alone
7. stranger returns and tries to comfort infant
8. mother returns and stranger leaves.

Question 5

what did Ainsworth observe during the procedure?

Answer 5

1. separation anxiety
2. stranger anxiety
3. joy on reunion
4. testing the secure base concept

Question 6

what did Ainsworth find?

Answer 6

Ainsworth was able to develop 3 broad types of attachment.

1. secure attachment- type B (66%)
2. insecure-avoidant- type A (22%)
3. insecure-resistant- type C (12%)

Question 7

what did Ainsworth conclude?

Answer 7

1. the study showed that there are significant individual differences between infants
2. it shows that most American children are securely attached.

Question 8

Describe what Type B is and some features of it

Answer 8

SECURELY ATTACHED
66%
-used mother as a safe base to explore the environment
-distressed when mother left
-avoidant of the stranger when alone but friendly when mother was present
-positive and happy when the mother returned

mothers were described as sensitive

Question 9

Describe what Type A is and some features of it

Answer 9

INSECURE- AVOIDANT
22%
-infant happy to explore with or without the presence of the caregiver
-infant shows no sign of stress when the mother leaves
-infant is okay with stranger and plays normally when stranger is present.
-infant showed little interest when mother returned.
-showed ambivalent behaviour

mothers sometimes ignored their infant

Question 10

Describe what Type C is and some features of it

Answer 10

INSECURE- RESISTANT
12%
-infant explores less and cries more than other two types
-infant shows signs of intense stress when separated
-infant avoids the stranger and shows fear of them
-child approaches mother but resists contact and may even push her away.

mothers appeared to behave ambivalently towards their infant.

Question 11

what is a piece of evidence challenges Ainsworth’s internal validity

Answer 11

low internal validity
MAIN and WESTON (1981)
-children behave differently depending on the parent they’re with
-attachment type may not be valid as it is only the measure of one particular relationship

however main then argued again in 1999 that (as seen in Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachments) attachment types heavily influenced by the mother- suggesting the mother is the most important figure and therefore should be assessed in the study

Question 12

what is a piece of evidence supports Ainsworths internal validity

Answer 12

high internal validity
MAIN (1999)
Main then argued again that (as seen in Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachments) attachment types heavily influenced by the mother- suggesting the mother is the most important figure and therefore should be assessed in the study.

Question 13

what evidence challenges the attachment types of Ainsworth

Answer 13

fourth attachment type
MAIN AND SOLOMON (1986)
Insecure-disorganised type D
-was characterised by a lack of consistent patterns of social behaviour
-such infants lacked a coherent strategy for dealing with the stress of separation.

Question 14

who supported the evidence for a fourth attachment type

Answer 14

supported idea of type D
VAN IJZENDOORN (1999)
-carried out a meta-analysis of nearly 80 studies in the US. 
They found:
-62% secure
-15% insecure- avoidant 
-9% insecure-resistant 
-15% insecure-disorganised