Ainsworth's strange situation

What is the strange situation?

A procedure for assessing the quality of attachment between the infants and mother. It was developed by Ainsworth, and involves a series of 7 episodes lasting 3 minutes each.

What was the aim?

To test and measure the quality of attachment and attachment types to the caregiver.

Who were the participants?

100 US middle class mothers and their infants

What was the procedure?

A recorded observation with the caregiver, infant and a stranger. This was highly controlled to see the infants response to exploration, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, use of mother as secure base and reunion with the caregiver.

What happened during the procedure?

1. Mum, baby. Tests secure base and exploration

2. Mum, baby, stranger. Tests stranger anxiety

3. Baby, stranger. Tests separation and stranger anxiety

4. Mum, baby. Tests stranger anxiety and secure base.

5. Baby. Separation anxiety

6. Baby, stranger. Stranger anxiety

7. Mum, baby, stranger. Response on reunion

What are the 3 types of infant attachments?

Type A (Avoidant) - Low signs of distress, less reaction (20%)

Type B (Secure) - Moderate signs of distress, happy when mum returns (70%)

Type C (resistant) - High signs of distress, pushes mum away when she returns (3%)

What is caregiver-sensitivity hypothesis?

Child’s attachment style depends on their mothers behavior towards them. Sensitive mothers are responsive to their child’s feelings, therefore creating secure attachment.

What is the temperament hypothesis?

Kagan suggests that the temperament is what leads to different attachment types.

Easy leads to temperament, slow to warm up leads to avoidant, difficult leads to resistant