Ainsworth - Strange Situation

• What is the aim? (Ainsworth)

  To assess individual differences between mother-infants pairs in terms of the quality of their attachment
• How many participants were there? (Ainsworth)

  106 middle class American infants and their mothers
• How old were the babies? (Ainsworth)

  12-18 months old
• What kind of observation is the experiment? (Ainsworth)

  Controlled, covert observation
• How many episodes where there? (Ainsworth)

  8
• How long did each episode take? (Ainsworth)

  3 minutes
• What was the room like? (Ainsworth)

  Testing room was an unfamiliar environment
• How many categories were there? (Ainsworth)

  5 categories recorded
• How were behaviorus recorded? (Ainsworth)

  Through a two-way mirror
• How long was each increment? (Ainsworth)

  15 seconds
• What happened every 15 seconds? (Ainsworth)

  Behaviour displayed was recorded and scored on an intensity scale
• What scale was the intensity scale? (Ainsworth)


  1 to 7
• How many behavioural categories were there? (Ainsworth)

  5
• What was the first category? (Ainsworth)

  Proximity and contact seeking behaviour
• What was the second category? (Ainsworth)

  Exploration and secure base behaviour
• What was the third category? (Ainsworth)

  Stranger anxiety
• What was the fourth category? (Ainsworth)

  Separation anxiety
• What was the fifth category? (Ainsworth)

  Response to reunion