Strange Situation

What was the aim for the Strange Situation?

To see how infants behave under conditions of mild stress and novelty

Who made the Strange Situation?

Mary Ainsworth

What type of environment did Ainsworth carry out the Strange Situation?

Lab environment

What was Ainsworth's aim when she made the procedure for the Strange Situation?

She developed a procedure to measure the type and quality of attachment between an infant and a caregiver

What type of observation is used in the Strange Situation?

Controlled observation

What is the room supposed to be like when the Strange Situation is carried out?

A quiet room w/ a two way mirror

What two situations does the procedure of the Strange Situation put the infants in?

Comfort seeking and exploration behaviour

What are the 8 stages of the Strange Situation?

1) mother and infant enter the lab playroom

2) infant plays w/ some toys while the mother sits down

3) a stranger enters the lab and sits down

4) mother leaves and the stranger tries to interact w/ the infant

5) mother returns and stranger leaves

6) mother leaves infant alone

7) stranger returns and tries to interact w/ infant

8) mother returns and attempts to pick up the infant as the stranger leaves

How often do the observers record the infant's behaviour in the Strange Situation?

Behaviour was recorded every 15 seconds

What 4 behaviours do the observers record in the Strange Situation

- separation anxiety

- stranger anxiety

- reunion behaviour

- use of the mother as a secure base

How many infants were tested in Ainsworth's study?

106 american infants

What three attachment typed were the infants classified with in Ainsworth's study?

- insecure-avoidant (type A)

- secure (type B)

- insecure-resistant (type C)

What percentage of the infants in Ainsworth's study were insecure-avoidant (type A)?

20-25%

What percentage of the infants in Ainsworth's study were secure (type B)?

60-75%

What percentage of the infants in Ainsworth's study were insecure-resistant (type C)?

3%

What is the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis?

a child's attachment style is dependent on the behaviour their mother shows towards them.

What does type A attachment mean?

- insecure-avoidant

- the child doesn't seek closeness with the caregiver and is often independent emotionally and physically

What behaviours are observed in type A attachment?

- low separation anxiety

- low stranger anxiety

- avoids ignores caregiver on reunion

- continues to explore without using caregiver as base

What does type B attachment mean?

- secure attachment

- the child feels confident that the caregiver will meet their needs

- they use the caregiver as a secure base to explore the environment

What behaviours are observed in type B attachment?

- moderate separation anxiety

- moderate stranger anxiety

- easily comforted on reunion

- shows exploration with caregiver as base

What does type C attachment mean?

- insecure-resistant

- the child is clingy and seeks closeness but is also insecure and difficult to comfort

What behaviours are observed in type C attachment?

- high separation anxiety

- high stranger anxiety

- seeks comfort but also resists if during reunion e.g hitting or pushing caregiver

- little exploration

What is the temperament hypothesis?

the idea that the nature of infants' attachments is due to innate personality factors

What are some limitations of Ainsworth's study?

- only measured the relationship type w/ one attachment figure, only used mothers, wrong attachment type may have been identified as the father could've been primary caregiver

- ethical issues, 20% of children cried desperately at one point, long term emotional damage may have been caused etc.

- lacks population validity as it focuses on the west and suffers from cultural bias

- lacks ecological validity as it was done in a lab

What is a strength of Ainsworth's study?

- easily replicable due to high control of variables

- findings are highly reliable and weren't a one off

- findings were statistically significant