Types of Attachment

• The Strange Situation (Ainsworth + Bell) - Aim


  To observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a baby's attachment to a caregiver
• The Strange Situation (Ainsworth + Bell) - Procedure


  Proximity seeking - a baby with good quality attachment will stay fairly close to a attachment figure

  Exploration and secure base behaviour - good attachment enables a baby to feel confident to explore using their caregiver as a point to feel safe

  Stranger anxiety - display of anxiety when a stranger approaches shows close attachment

  Separation anxiety - protest separation from caregiver shows strong attachment

  Response to reunion - securely attached babies greet the caregivers return with pleasure

  1 Baby is encouraged to explore - exploration and secure base

  2 A stranger comes in approaches the baby and talks to the caregiver - stranger anxiety

  3 Caregiver leaves baby and stranger together - separation and stranger anxiety

  4 Caregiver returns and the stranger leaves - reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base

  5 Caregiver leaves baby alone - separation anxiety

  6 Stranger returns - stranger anxiety

  7 Caregiver returns and is reunited - Tests reunion behaviour
• The Strange Situation (Ainsworth + Bell) - Findings


  Findings - Ainsworth found there were distinct patterns in the way babies behaved and identified three types

  
  

  Secure attachment (B) - explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver. Show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. Require and accept comfort in reunion stage. 60-75%

  
  

  Insecure - avoidant (A) - explore freely but don't seek proximity. Show little or no reaction when caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety. Little effort to make contact when caregiver returns and may avoid it. 20-25%

  
  

  Insecure- resistant (C.) - seek greater proximity than others and so explore less. High levels of stranger and separation distress. Resist comfort when reunited. 3%
• Evaluations - Strange Situation

  Strength

  P - it's outcome predicts a number of aspects of the babies later development

  E - research shows babies assessed as type B tend to have better outcomes than others. In childhood this includes better achievement at school and less bullying. In adulthood this includes having normal health

  C - suggests it measures something real and meaningful in a babies development

  
  

  Strength

  P - the study has good inter rater reliability

  E - Brick et al tested inter rater reliability and found agreement on type in 94% of cases

  C - this means we can be confident that the attachment type assessed does not depend on subjective judgements

  
  

  Weakness

  P - it may not be a valid measure in different cultural contexts

  E - As it was developed in the UK and US it may be culture bound. Babies in different cultures may have different experiences which will affect their responses to the study.

  E - this means it's difficult to know what the Strange Situation is measuring outside Europe and the US