The Strange Situation and it's implications

Question 1

Who conducted the original Strange Situation study and when?

Answer 1

Ainsworth and Bell (1970)

Question 2

What is the Strange Situation?

Answer 2

A method of measuring the quality of attachment by placing the infant in a unfamiliar situation

Question 3

How many stages are there in the Strange Situation procedure?

Answer 3

8

Question 4

Approximately how long should each phase of the procedure last?

Answer 4

3 minutes

Question 5

What does the observers measuring during the experiment?

Answer 5

The infants behaviour; specifically the levels of stranger anxiety and separation anxiety

Question 6

What experimental method is used?

Answer 6

It is a controlled experiment = Lab observation

Question 7

Describe briefly the 8 stages of the Strange Situation

Answer 7

1. Mother and Baby introduced to the room
2. Mother is passive while baby explores the room
3. A stranger enters the room and talk to the mother then gradually approaches the baby with a toy
4. SEPARATION EPISODE - Mother leaves the baby and stranger in the room and the stranger tries to engage with him/her
5. REUNION EPISODE - Mother returns and greets the baby (stranger leaves)
6. SEPARATION EPISODE #2 - Mother leaves and baby is in the room alone
7. Stranger returns and tries to engage with the baby
8. Mother returns and picks up the baby, stranger leaves

Question 8

What 4 specifics did the researchers observe?

STAR

Answer 8

1. separation anxiety symptoms
2. the infants willingness to explore
3. anxiety towards stranger
4. reunion behaviour

Question 9

What year did Ainsworth compile her findings from the Strange Situation experiments?

Answer 9

1978

Question 10

What 3 categories were established as a result of the findings from the Strange Situation experiments?

Answer 10

Insecure avoidant - TYPE A
Insecure resistant - TYPE C
Securely attached - TYPE B

Question 11

What percentage of Ainsworth’s results were securely attached?

Answer 11

66%

Question 12

What percentage of Ainsworth’s results were Insecure avoidant?

Answer 12

22%

Question 13

What percentage of Ainsworth’s results were Insecure resistant?

Answer 13

12%

Question 14

How were the percentages of Ainsworth’s results split between the three categories?

Answer 14

Securely attached = 66%
Insecure Avoidant = 22%
Insecure Resistant = 12%

Question 15

What ‘Type’ Is insecure avoidant?

Answer 15

TYPE A

Question 16

What ‘Type’ is Securely attached?

Answer 16

TYPE B

Question 17

What ‘Type’ is Insecure Resistant?

Answer 17

TYPE C

Question 18

Discuss how the infants in Type B reacted in the Strange Situation experiment

Answer 18

Overall - mother and stranger treated very differently

• babies played happily while mother was there
• play was seriously disrupted and upset when mothers left
• stranger had no effect when mother was present
• immediate comfort on reunification with mother
• stranger + baby = upset

Question 19

Discuss how the infants in Type A reacted in the Strange Situation experiment

Answer 19

Overall - mother and stranger treated very similarly

• showed indifference towards mother
• play hardly affected in mother’s presence or absence
• few signs of distress when she left and ignored/avoided her when she returned
• most distress when left alone

Question 20

Discuss how the infants in Type C reacted in the Strange Situation experiment

Answer 20

Overall - ambivalent towards mother

-fussy and wary even when mother was present and they cried a lot more than others
-mother left = very distressed
-mother returned = ambivalent towards her: seeking contact but at the same time showing anger and resisting contact
- e.g. they would put their arms out to be
picked up then immediately struggle to
get down

Question 21

Identify the strengths of the strange situation

Answer 21

• Its findings have has very influential implications
• Warner et al 1984 = research to support the reliability of the study which found that 78% of children were classified as having the same attachment type at ages 1 and 6

Question 22

Identify the Weaknesses of the Strange Situation

Answer 22

• Unreasonable to generalise - findings are restricted to middle class American infants = culturally biased
• Validity issues as it appears to measure specific relationships, not general characteristics
• RESEARCH EVALUATION:
  Lamb (1977) found that an infant may be securely attached with their mother, yet insecure avoidant with their father
  Main and Cassidy (1988) in a later Strange Situation style study they identified another classification group = disorganized. These children showed inconsistent behaviour, confusion and indecision.

Question 23

What 3 researches can be used to evaluate strange situation?

Answer 23

+Warner et al (1984) - attachment types over time

• Lamb (1977) - attachment differs between parents
• Main and Cassidy (1988) - disorganized children

Question 24

in Warner et al (1984)’s study what percentage of children were classified as having the same attachment type at ages 1 and 6

Answer 24

78%

Question 25

What was the 4h classification group that Main and Cassidy theorised and what year did they do so?

Answer 25

1988 - disorganized children

Question 26

What is the potential further analysis of the Strange situation?
(hint: pyramid diagram)

Answer 26

There is potentially cyclical effects, for example the behaviour of a care giver towards their securely attached child will create a positive and loved internal working model of itself, which in turn, would make them behave better, meaning the care givers behaviour can remain positive towards them.