types of attachment (strange situation) Flashcards
strange situation definition
a controlled observation designed to test attachment security. babies are assessed on their response to playing in an unfamiliar room, being left alone, left with a stranger and being reunited with the caregiver
secure attachment definition
generally thought of as the most desirable attachment type, associated with psychologically health outcomes, in the strange situation this is shown by moderate stranger and separation anxiety and ease of comfort at reunion
insecure-avoidant attachment definition
an attachment type characterised by low anxiety but weak attachment. in the strange situation this is shown by low stranger and separation anxiety and little response to reunion, maybe even an avoidance of the caregiver
insecure-resistant attachment definition
an attachment type characterised by strong attachment and high anxiety. in the strange situation this is shown by high levels of stranger and seperation anxiety and by resistance to being comforted at the reunion
who did the strange situation
Ainsworth and Bell
when did Ainsworth and Bell do the strange situation
1970
what was the aim of the strange situation
aim was to be able to observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a baby’s attachment to a caregiver
what type of observation is the strange situation
controlled observation
what is the srtange situation designed to measure
the security of attachment a baby displays towards a caregiver.
where does the strange situation take place
in a room with quite controlled conditions (such as a laboratory) with a two way mirror and/or cameras which psychologists can observe the baby’s behaviour
what were the 5 behaviours used to judge attachment
-proximity seeking
-exploration and secure base behaviour
-stranger anxiety
-separation anxiety
-response to reunion
what is seen for proximity seeking
a baby with a good quality attachment will stay fairly close to the caregiver
what is seen for exploration and secure base behaviour
good attachment enables a baby to fell confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base (point of contact which will make them feel self)
what is seen for stranger anxiety
one sign of becoming closely attached is a display of anxiety when a stranger approaches
what is seen for separation anxiety
sign of becoming attached is to protest at separation form the caregiver
what is seen for response reunion
babies who are securely attached greet the caregiver’s return with pleasure and seek comfort
how many episodes does the strange situation have and how long do they last
7 each lasting 3 mins
what is the first stage of the strange situation and what does it test
1-baby is encouraged to explore –> tests exploration and secure base
what is the second stage of the strange situation and what does it test
2-stanger comes in, talks to the caregiver and approaches the baby –> tests stranger anxiety
what is the third stage of the strange situation and what does it test
3-caregiver leaves the baby and stranger together –> tests separation and stranger anxiety
what is the fourth stage of the strange situation and what does it test
4-cargeiver returns and the stranger leaves —> test reunions behaviour and exploration/secure base
what is the fifth stage of the strange situation and what does it test
5-caregiver leaves baby alone –> tests separation anxiety
what is the sixth stage of the strange situation and what does it test
6-stanger returns –> tests stranger anxiety
what is the seventh stage of the strange situation and what does it test
7-caregiver returns and is reunited with the baby –> tests reunion behaviour
what did Ainsworth et al find
identifies 3 main types of attachment
-secure attachment
-insecure-avoidant attachment
-insecure-resistant attachment
when did the strange situation happen
1978
what is type B
secure attachment
what is type A
insecure-avoidant attachment
what is type C
insecure-resistant attachment
what is secure attachment (type B)
babies explore happily but regular go back to their caregiver (proximity-seeking and secure-base behvaiour). they usually show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. securely attached babies require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage. 60-75% of British babies are classified as secure
how many British babies are secure attachment (type B)
60-75% of British babies are classified as secure
what is insecure-avoidant attachment (type A)
babies explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour. they show little ore no reaction when the caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety. they make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns and may even avoid such contact. about 20-25% of British babies are classified as insecure-avoidant
how may British babies are insecure-avoidant attachment (type A)
about 20-25% of British babies are classified as insecure-avoidant
what is insecure-resistant attachment (type C)
babies seek greater proximity than others and so explore less. show high levels of stranger and separation distress but resist comfort when reunited with their caregiver. around 3% of British babies are classified as insecure-resistant
how many British babies are insecure-resistant attachment (type C)
around 3% of British babies are classified as insecure-resistant
strength of the strange situation and types of attachment - good predictive validity
-outcome predicts a number of aspects of the baby’s later development
-a large body of research shows babies and toddlers assessed as type B tend to have better outcomes than others, both in childhood and adulthood, in childhood this includes better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying (McCormick at al 2016, Kokkinos 2007). securely attached babies also tend to go on to have better mental health in adulthood (ward et al 2006). those babies assessed as having insecure-resistant attachment and those not falling into types A,B or C tend to have the worst outcomes –> suggests the stage situation may not actually measure attachment
limitation of the strange situation and types of attachment - counterpoint to good predictive validity
-strange situation clearly measures something important that is associated with later development. however, not all psychologists believe this something is attachment. for example, Kagan 1982 suggested that genetically -influenced anxiety levels could account for variations in attachment behvaiour in the strange situation and later development –> means that the strange situation may not actually measure attachment
strength of the strange situation and types of attachment - good reliability
-good inter-rater reliability
-Bick et al 2012 tested inter-rater reliability for the strange situation for a team of trained observers and found agreement on attachment type in 94% of cases. this high label of reliability may be because the procedure takes place under controlled conditions and because behaviours (such as proximity-seeking and stranger anxiety) involve large movements and are therefore easy to observe. for example, anxious babies cry and crawl away from strangers –> means that we can be confident that attachment type as assessed by the strange situation does not depend on subjective judgements
limitation of the strange situation and types of attachment - test may be culture bound
-may not be a valid measure of attachment in different cultural contexts
-strange situation was developed in Britain and the US. it may be culture-bound. one reason for this is babies have different experiences in different cultures and these experiences may affect their responses to the strange situation. for example, in one Japanese study by Takahashi 1986, babies displayed very high levels of separation anxiety and so a disproportionate amount were classified as insecure-resistant. Takahashi 1990 suggests that this anxiety response was not due to high rates of attachment insecurity but to the unusual nature of the experience in Japan where mother-baby separation is very rare –> means that it is very difficult to know what the strange situation is measuring when used outside Europe and the US
evaluation of the strange situation and types of attachment - other attachment types
-Main and Solomon 1986 identified a 4th category of attachment - a disorganised or type D attachment, a mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours
-however, type D babies are unusual and have generally experiences some form of severe neglect or abuse. most will go on to develop psychological disorders by adulthood
