Types of Attachment

Question 1

who conducted the strange situation test?

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth in 1978

Question 2

strange situation aim

Answer 2

to see how 106 infants aged between 9 - 18 months behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty

Question 3

strange situation method

Answer 3

• 9x9 foot space marked into 16 squares to help monitoring
• controlled observation of a mother and child interacting in 8 different scenarios
• set up in a lab with a two-way mirror infront of Ainsworth and multiple observers

Question 4

what were the four main behaviours observed?

Answer 4

• exploration behaviour (is the mother a secure base)
• stranger anxiety
• separation anxiety
• reunion behaviour

Question 5

what were the eight episodes ?

Answer 5

1) mother and baby enter room 2) mother sits and responds to baby 3) stranger enters, talks to mother, and gradually approaches baby 4) mother leaves 5) stranger and baby together 6) mother returns, stranger leaves, when baby is settled mother leaves again 7) baby is alone 8) stranger returns and is alone with baby 9) mother returns, stranger leaves

Question 6

what are the types of attachments?
(percentage of infants in study)

Answer 6

• type b: secure, 66%
• type c: insecure resistant, 12%
• type a: insecure avoidant, 22%

Question 7

secure exploration

Answer 7

explore unfamiliar space, returns to secure base regularly

Question 8

avoidant exploration

Answer 8

explores unfamiliar space but doesn’t use mum as a secure base

Question 9

resistant exploration

Answer 9

doesn’t explore, choose to stay close/cling to mother

Question 10

secure separation anxiety

Answer 10

moderate - play seriously disrupted

Question 11

avoidant separation anxiety

Answer 11

low - not concerned by the departure

Question 12

resistant separation anxiety

Answer 12

extreme/high - extreme distress and violence

Question 13

secure stranger anxiety

Answer 13

moderate - wary of stranger, move closer to mum

Question 14

avoidant stranger anxiety

Answer 14

low - unconceived, treat mum and stranger equally

Question 15

resistant stranger anxiety

Answer 15

extreme/high - extreme distress when a stranger confronts them

Question 16

secure reunion behaviour

Answer 16

joy on reunion, seeks proximity, easily confronted

Question 17

avoidant reunion behaviour

Answer 17

little reaction, ignores mum, avoids intimacy

Question 18

resistant reunion behaviour

Answer 18

not easily comforted by mother

Question 19

strengths of the strange situation test

Answer 19

High inter-observer reliability
- Ainsworth found 0.94 level of agreement between observers
Predictive validity
- Hazan and Shaver found ppts attachment styles positively correlated to their child attachment style

Question 20

limitations of the strange situation test

Answer 20

Attachment type classification
- main and Soloman proposed a 4th type labelled disorganised
Lacks internal validity
- main and Weston found children reacted differently depending on which parent they did the test with - so measuring relationship quality