ainsworth strange situation

• the strange situation task involved 12 -24 month old children
• in the strange situation task a mother and child enter and unfamiliar room
• the mom and child interact with each other while a stranger enters a room
• the mother leaves the room with child alone with the stranger
• depending the reaction of the child the stranger tries to interact with the child
• the mother the enters the room the child's behaviour then changes as the stranger leaves the room
• 70 percent of the children showed secure attachment while 30 percent showed insecure attchment
• secure attachment is defined as distress when the mother levaes, at ease when the mother returns
• secure attachment children are more trusting and able to regulate emotions
• insecure avoidant attachment do not care about the mother presence and avoid the moms presence when they return
• the do not care when the mom returns and show little interest when the mom returns
• resistance attachment is when infants show intense distress and the child approaches the mother but resists contact
• disroganized attachment discovered by main in 1990 show a mix of avoidant and ambivalent behaviours so they are confused
• the strange situtation task measures attachment security