Theories Of Research Into Attachment - Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Flashcards
What is the background of the strange situation study?
- Mary Ainsworth worked with Bowlby during the 1950’s
- She named the study the ‘strange situation’
- In this study infants and their mothers were observed in different situations to reveal different types of behaviours shown by infants to Ainsworth
What was the procedure of the strange situation?
- Controlled in a labatory
- Two way mirror used to observe
- In the beginning the child and caregiver enter an unfamiliar room
- There were 8 episodes/ situations studied
What were the 8 episodes/ situations studied and what behaviour did each test?
1= Parent and infant play
2= Parent sits while infant plays ————> Use of parent as a secure base
3= Stranger enters and talks to parent ————> Stranger anxiety
4= Parents leaves, infant plays, stranger offers comfort if needed ————> Separation anxiety
5= Parent returns, greets infant and offers comfort if needed, stranger leaves ——> reunion behaviour
6= Parent leaves, infant is now alone ————> Separation anxiety
7= Stranger enters and offers comfort if needed ————> Stranger anxiety
8= Parent returns and offers comfort after greeting infant ————> Reunion behaviour
What were the findings?
Ainsworth found 3 attachment types =
- Secure (type B)
- Insecure-avoidant (type A)
- Insecure-resistant (type C)
What are the qualities of a secure type child?
- Explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver (proximity seeking and secure base behaviour)
- Show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety
- Require and accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage
How many children in Britain are attachment type secure?
60-70% of British toddlers are classified as secure
How many children were found to be attachment type secure in the study?
66%
What is a secure child’s internal working model?
“Even when mums not here I can count on her. After all she’s always been there when I needed help”
What are the qualities of an insecure-avoidant type child?
- Explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour
- Little stranger anxiety
- Show little or no reaction when caregiver leaves (separation anxiety)
- Make little effort to make contact when caregiver returns (reunion behaviour)
- Don’t require comfort at their reunion stage
- About 20-25% of toddlers are classified as insecure-avoidant
How many infants were attachment type insecure-avoidant in the study?
22%
What behaviours did insecure-avoidant type children show during the study?
- Largely ignores mother due to indifference
- No or little sign of distress when mother leaves
- Actively ignores mother on her return
- Distress caused by being alone
- Can be comforted by a stranger as easily as by the mother
- Mother and stranger are treated in much the same way
What is an insecure-avoidant child’s internal working model?
“She’s never around, when she is she doesn’t give me what I need, but I don’t care….I didn’t want her anyway”
What are the qualities of an insecure-resistant child?
- Children seek greater proximity than others and so explore less
- Show huge amounts of stranger and separation anxiety
- They resist comfort when reunited with their carer
- Around 3% of toddlers are classed as insecure-resistant
How many infants were attachment type insecure-resistant in the study?
12%
What behaviours did insecure-resistant children show in the study?
- Infant is fussy and wary while mother is present
- Has difficulty in using mother as a safe base
- Very distressed when mother leaves and seeks contact with her upon reunion, however also shows anger and resists contact
- Infant is ambivalent towards mother
- Resists the strangers effort to make contact
