Ainsworth’s Strange Situation: Types of attachment

• What is the key study associated with Ainsworth's Strange Situation?

  Ainsworth et al. (1971, 1978)
• What are the eight episodes of Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure?

  1. Parent + infant play
  2. Parent sits while infant plays
  3. Stranger enters and talks to parent
  4. Parent leaves, infant plays
  5. Parent returns + greets infant, stranger leaves
  6. Parent leaves, infant alone
  7. Stranger enters + offers comfort
  8. Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort
• How many squares were used to record the infant's movements in the Strange Situation?

  16 squares
• What was the purpose of the second episode in the Strange Situation?

  To assess the use of the parent as a secure base
• What does the third episode of the Strange Situation assess?

  Stranger anxiety
• What is measured during the fourth episode of the Strange Situation?

  Separation anxiety
• What behavior is observed in the fifth episode of the Strange Situation?

  Reunion behavior
• What happens in the sixth episode of the Strange Situation?

  The parent leaves, and the infant is left alone
• What is the focus of the seventh episode in the Strange Situation?

  Stranger anxiety
• What occurs in the eighth episode of the Strange Situation?

  The parent returns, greets the infant, and offers comfort
• How often was data collected on the infant during the Strange Situation?

  Every 15 seconds
• What were the findings of Ainsworth et al. regarding exploratory behaviors and crying in infants?

  • Exploratory behaviors declined from stage 2 onwards
  • Amount of crying increased
• What are the three main types of attachment identified by Ainsworth?

  1. Secure attachment (Type B)
  2. Insecure-avoidant (Type A)
  3. Insecure-resistant (Type C)
• What characterizes secure attachment (Type B)?


  Harmonious relationship with caregiver, not likely to cry when caregiver leaves
• What is a key behavior of insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A)?

  Avoids social interaction and intimacy with others
• How does an insecure-resistant attachment (Type C) behave upon separation from the caregiver?

  Experiences immediate and intense distress
• What is a notable behavior of infants with insecure-resistant attachment during reunion with the caregiver?

  Displays conflicting desires for and against contact
• What are the strengths of Ainsworth's observations in the Strange Situation?

  • High reliability
  • Nearly perfect agreement among observers (0.94) when rating exploratory behavior
• How has Ainsworth's research been applied in real-world settings?

  • Used to improve children's lives
  • Example: Circle of Security Project increased securely attached infants from 32% to 40%
• What did Raval et al. (2001) find regarding maternal sensitivity and attachment strength?

  Low correlations between maternal sensitivity and strength of attachment
• What did Slade et al. (2005) identify as important for attachment?

  Maternal reflective functioning
• What is maternal reflective functioning?

  The ability to understand what someone else is thinking or feeling