Types of Attatchment (AO1)

Question 1

Who is the psychologist associated with this sub-topic & what was her experiment called?

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth & the Strange Situation

Question 2

What was the aim of the strange situation experiment?

Answer 2

to assess individual differences between mother-infant pairs in terms of the quality of their attachment

Question 3

Who were the participants of the strange situation experiment?

Answer 3

106 middle class USA infants aged between 12-18 months and their mothers

Question 4

What was the procedure of the experiment?

Answer 4

controlled, covert observation
8 episodes, each lasting around 3 minutes (except episode 1 which lasts around 30 seconds)
the testing room was an unfamiliar environment, hence ‘strange situation’
5 categories of behaviour were recorded through the two-way mirror
every 15 seconds, the category of behaviour displayed was recorded (time sampling) and scored on an intensity scale of 1 to 7

Question 5

What were the 5 recorded categories of behaviour?

Answer 5

1. proximity & contact-seeking
2. exploration & secure-base behaviour
3. stranger anxiety
4. separation anxiety
5. response to reunion

Question 6

What were the 8 episodes?

Answer 6

1. observer takes mother + infant into room, then observer leaves (30s)
2. mother allows baby to explore (3 mins)
3. stranger enters room (3 mins)
4. mother leaves & stranger interacts with baby (3 mins)
5. mother returns, stranger leaves & then mother leaves (3 mins)
6. baby is alone (3 mins)
7. stranger enters & interacts with child (3 mins)
8. mother returns, greets + picks up baby & stranger leaves (3 mins)

Question 7

What were the results of the strange situation experiment?

Answer 7

generally, infants explored the playroom and toys more enthusiastically when just the mother was present
&
3 attachment types were identified

Question 8

What are the 3 attachment types?

Answer 8

Insecure Avoidant
Secure Attachment
Insecure Resistant

Question 9

What % of the infants were each attachment type?

Answer 9

avoidant = 20-25%
secure = 60-75%
resistant = 3%

Question 10

How did an Insecure Avoidant infant behave in the strange situation experiment?

Answer 10

• infants explore freely
• they do not seek proximity to the mother or show secure base behaviour
• they ignore the mother
• they show little or no distress when she leaves & make little effort to seek proximity when she returns, not requiring comfort at reunion
• mother & stranger treated the same

Question 11

How did an Secure Attachment infant behave in the strange situation experiment?

Answer 11

• infants explored contently when mother was present, but regularly demonstrated proximity-seeking & secure base behaviour
• they were moderately distressed when she left & showed moderate stranger-anxiety
• on her return they sought proximity & comfort from her, which calmed them down
• mother & stranger were treated very differently

Question 12

How did an Insecure Resistant infant behave in the strange situation experiment?

Answer 12

• infants seek greater proximity than others
• they were severely distressed by mother leaving & showed severe stranger anxiety
• sought contact with her on return but simultaneously showed anger & resisted contact

Question 13

Level of Willingness to Explore in the 3 attachment types?

Answer 13

avoidant = high
secure = moderate
resistant =low

Question 14

Level of Stranger Anxiety in the 3 attachment types?

Answer 14

avoidant = low
secure = moderate
resistant = high

Question 15

Level of Separation Anixety in the 3 attachment types?

Answer 15

avoidant = low
secure = moderate
resistant = high

Question 15

Type of Behaviour on Reunion in the 3 attachment types?

Answer 15

avoidant = unbothered & ignores mother
secure = comforted
resistant = wants comfort but resists