Types of attachment

Question 1

Who developed the Strange situation?

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth and Silvia Bell (1970)

Question 2

What was the aim of the strange situation?

Answer 2

To be able to observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing quality of a baby’s attachment to caregiver

Question 3

Where was the strange situation conducted?

Answer 3

-controlled environment (lab)
-two-way mirror with cameras

Question 4

What behaviours was used to judge attachment?

Answer 4

• proximity-seeking- how close baby stays to caregiver
• exploration & secure-base behaviour-confident to explore but uses cargiver as secure base
• stranger anxiety- distress when stranger approaches
• separation anxiety-protest at separation from caregiver
• response to reuinion-greet caregivers return with pleasure & seek comfort

Question 5

What was the 7 episodes of the procedure?

Answer 5

1. baby is encouraged to explore
2. stranger comes in, talks to caregiver and approaches baby
3. leaves baby and stranger together
4. caregiver returns and stranger leaves
5. caregiver leaves baby alone
6. stranger returns
7. caregiver returns and is reunited with baby

Question 6

Findings for secure attachment

Answer 6

-Type B
-explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver
-moderate seperation anxiety
-moderate stranger anxiety
-easily calmed on reunion
60-75% British babies

Question 7

Findings for insecure-avoidant attachment

Answer 7

-Type A
-explore freely, do not seek proximity or secure base behaviour
-low seperation anxiety
-low stranger anxiety
-ignores caregiver on reunion
-20-25% of British babies

Question 8

Findings for insercure-resistant attachment

Answer 8

-Type C
-high proximity seeking
-low exploration
-high stranger anxiety
-high separation anxiety
-hard to calm on reunion
3% of British babies

Question 9

Why may the strange situation be culturally bound?

Answer 9

-developed in Britain & the USA
-only valid for use in certain cultures (Westerns)
Babies have different experiences in different cultures which may affect responses to SS
-e.g. Takahashi Japanese study

Question 10

How does the strange situation have good inter-rater reliability?

Answer 10

Bick et al tested inter-rater reliability for the SS for a team of trained observers & found agreement on attachment type on 94% of cases
- due to controlled conditions and easy to observe episodes
=SS does not depend on subjective judgements

Question 11

What research shows the strange situation predicts a number of baby’s later development?
also can use A01 for early attachment and its infleunce

Answer 11

McCormick et al - Type B babies tend to have better outcomes than others= achievement in school & less involvement in bullying
-better mental health in adulthood (Ward)
Type C - worse outcomes