Types of attchement: Ainsworth 'Strange situtation'

Question 1

Describe secure attachment

lvl of: seperation+stranger anxiety,response on reunion,proximityseeking

Answer 1

Seperation anxiety: moderate
stranger anxiety: moderate
response on reunion: Require & accept comfort when reunited
Proximity seeking: regularly

Question 2

Describe insecure-avoidant attachment

Answer 2

Seperation anxiety: low
stranger anxiety: low
response on reunion: indifference (or may avoid contact)
Proximity seeking: low/independent behaviour

Question 3

Describe insecure-resistant attachment

Answer 3

Seperation anxiety: high
stranger anxiety: high
response on reunion: resist comfort when reunited
Proximity seeking: high/clingly

Question 4

7 stages of the procedure

Answer 4

1. they enter and Baby encourage to explore playroom
2. stranger comes and approaches baby.
3. caregiver leaves and leaves baby with stranger
4. caregiver returns, stranger leaves
5. caregiver leaves baby alone
6. stranger returns and offers to comfort baby.
7. Caregiver returns and stranger leaves

Question 5

ao3: Original study used only 3 attachment types

Answer 5

Researchers identified a 4th attachment type - disorganised attachment - a mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours.
This type generally experienced some form of severe abuse/neglect and most develop psychological disorders by adulthood.
But Ainsworth doesnt consisder behaviour of caregiver but rather the availability and responsiveness of caregiver.
Therefore the research doesnt account other attchement types.

Question 6

ao3: cultural biased

Answer 6

Ainsworth methods were based on US parent child ideals and used a sample of Americans and their infants. Babies have different experiences in different cultures. e.g. japanese infants were classified as insecrure resistant due to high levels of anxiety shown. But this is due to japanese culture, where seperation from caregiver is very rare.
Procedure not applicable across a range of cultures.

Question 7

ao3: methodlogical issues

Answer 7

A methodological weakness of Ainsworth’s strange situation is the type of observation she conducted, which was overt in its design. The parents in Ainsworth’s study knew they were being observed through the one-way mirror and therefore may have displayed demand characteristics. This meant that the mothers may have been overly affectionate towards their children as they believed this is the behaviour that the scenario demanded of them. In turn, this could have altered the children’s behaviour and therefore lowers the internal validity of the experiment.

Question 8

What type of study and what did it use

Answer 8

controlled overt observation in a lab, used a two-way mirror.

Question 9

Ao3: gOOD RELIABILITY

Answer 9

The strange situation method of assessing attachment type is said to have high reliability. The observations took place under strict and controlled methods (including video recording) using predetermined behavioural categories. Since Ainsworth has several observers watching and coding the same infant behaviours, agreement on attachment classifications could be ensured/tested. Ainsworth et al. (1978) found 94% agreement between observers and when inter-observer/inter-rater reliability is assumed to a high degree the findings are considered more meaningful.