Ainsworth

• What are the three types of attachment identified by Ainsworth?

  Secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant
• What characterizes secure attachment in infants?

  • Strong and contented attachment to caregiver
  • Develops from sensitive responding to needs
  • Comfortable with social interaction and intimacy
  • Linked to healthy cognitive and emotional development
• What is insecure attachment and its implications?

  • Formed due to lack of sensitive responding by caregiver
  • Associated with poor cognitive and emotional development
  • Includes two types: avoidant and resistant
• What is the behavior of children with insecure-avoidant attachment?

  They tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others.
• How do children with insecure-resistant attachment behave?

  They both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction.
• What was the aim of Ainsworth and Bell's Strange Situation study?

  To assess the security of an infant's attachment in a mildly stressful situation.
• Describe the procedure of the Strange Situation study.

  • Conducted in a laboratory with American infants (12-18 months)
  • Involves caregiver, infant, and a stranger
  • Lasts just over 20 minutes
  • Observes infant's exploration, play, and distress behaviors
• What are the eight stages of the Strange Situation?

  1. Infant with caregiver and researcher
  2. Caregiver sits, infant explores
  3. Stranger enters, interacts with caregiver and infant
  4. Infant with stranger
  5. Caregiver returns, then leaves
  6. Infant alone
  7. Stranger returns, interacts with infant
  8. Caregiver returns, interacts with infant
• What percentage of infants showed secure attachment in the Strange Situation findings?

  66%
• What percentage of infants showed insecure-avoidant attachment in the Strange Situation findings?

  22%
• What percentage of infants showed insecure-resistant attachment in the Strange Situation findings?

  12%
• What are the behaviors observed in securely attached infants?

  • Harmonious relationship with caregiver
  • High willingness to explore
  • High stranger anxiety
  • Enthusiastic upon reunion
  • Some separation anxiety but can be soothed
• What are the behaviors observed in insecure-avoidant infants?

  • Avoid social interaction and intimacy
  • Treat caregivers and strangers similarly
  • High willingness to explore independently
  • Low stranger anxiety
  • Indifferent to separation and reunion
• What are the behaviors observed in insecure-resistant infants?

  • Seek and reject intimacy
  • Low willingness to explore
  • High stranger anxiety
  • Very distressed upon separation
  • Ambivalent during reunion
• What is the conclusion drawn from the Strange Situation study?

  • Measures individual differences in attachment behavior
  • Categorizes into secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant
  • Secure attachment is common in North America
  • Links between mother's behavior and infant's attachment
• What is the ecological validity of the Strange Situation?

  • Controlled observation may distort behavior
  • Observed behavior may not reflect real attachment types
  • Vaughn and Waters (1990) found secure attachment behaviors consistent at home
• What is the inter-rater reliability percentage found by Bick (2012) in the Strange Situation?

  94%
• What are the strengths of the Strange Situation study?

  • High inter-rater reliability
  • Similar findings reported in numerous studies
  • Easily replicable
• What is a cultural bias issue related to the Strange Situation?

  • Developed in America, may not apply to other cultures
  • Different responses in cultures can lead to incorrect conclusions
  • Example: Japanese children show high separation anxiety due to close caregiver bonds
• How do German children respond in the Strange Situation?

  • Encouraged to be independent
  • May appear to show avoidant attachment