AO1

• What is Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation?

  • An experiment to observe key attachment behaviours to assess the quality of child-caregiver attachment
  • Covert, controlled & non-participant observation, Lab setting
• What behaviours were used to judge the quality of attachment in the Strange Situation?

  • Proximity Seeking: a good attachment = Stay close to the caregiver
  • Exploration/Secure-Base Behaviours: Good attachment = child feels confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base
  • Stranger Anxiety: Good attachment = anxiety when a stranger approaches.
  • Separation Anxiety: Good attachment = protest at separation from the caregiver.
  • Responses to reunion: Good attachment = responding to caregiver after time apart
• What was the procedure for the Strange Situation (first half)?

  Child & caregiver enter unfamiliar room

  1. The child is encouraged to explore (Tests exploration and secure base)

  2. A stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child (Tests stranger anxiety)

  3. The caregiver leaves the child and stranger together (Tests separation and stranger anxiety)
• What was the procedure for the Strange Situation (second half)?

  4. The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves (Tests reunion behaviours and exploration of secure base)

  5. The caregiver leaves the child alone (Tests separation anxiety)

  6. The stranger returns (Tests stranger anxiety)

  7. The caregiver returns and is reunited with the child (Tests reunion behaviour)
• What were the findings of the Strange Situation?

  • There are distinct behaviour patterns which can be split into 3 main attachment types:
  • 1. Secure (Type B)
  • 2. Insecure-avoidant (Type A)
  • 3. Insecure-resistant (Type C)
• What are the behaviour patterns of a secure attachment?

  • Is moderately upset when mum leaves
  • Explores happily while keeping an eye on mum
  • Moderate stranger and separation anxiety
  • Readily comforted by mum when reunited.
  • About 60-75% of British toddlers are classified as secure.
• What are the behaviour patterns of an insecure-avoidant attachment?

  • Not upset when mum leaves
  • Explores freely without bothering where mum is
  • Low stranger and separation anxiety
  • Little response to reunion with mum, may even show avoidance to mum
  • About 20-25% of toddlers are classified as insecure-avoidant.
• What are the behaviour patterns of an insecure-resistant attachment?

  • Extremely upset when mum leaves
  • Does not explore much; keeps near mum
  • Extreme stranger and separation anxiety
  • Is cross with mum upon return and not easily comforted
  • Around 3% of British toddlers are classified as insecure-resistant.