Ainsworth strange situation

• What did Ainsworth test?

  nature of attachment under a controlled observation method
• Aim of the strange situation

  See how infants behave under stress and novelty

  tested stranger anxiety and separation anxiety

  Tested secure base concept
• procedure of Ainsworth stragne situation

  room 9x9 foot with squares to record movement

  7 episodes designed to highlight certain behaviours

  Data was collected every 15 seconds through a 2 way mirror
• the following behaviours tested on a scale 1-7

  Proximity seeking behaviours

  Exploration and secure base behaviours

  Stranger anxiety

  separation anxiety

  Reunion behaviour
• Proximity seeking

  A baby with good attachment with stay fairly close to a caregiver
• secure base behaviour

  Good attachment enables the baby to feel confide to explore using their caregiver as a secure base
• Stranger anxiety

  A sign of closely attached is anxiety when a stranger approaches
• separation anxiety

  protest the separation from the caregiver
• Response to reunion

  Babies who are securely attached greet the caregivers return with pleasure and seeks comfort
• Stage 1 what do they test

  Exploration and secure base
• Stage 1 what happens

  The baby is encouraged to explore
• Stage 2 what is tested

  Stranger anxiety
• Stage 2 what happens

  A stranger comes in , talks to caregiver and approaches the baby
• Stage 3 what is tested

  Separation and stranger anxiety
• Stage 3 what happens

  Caregiver leaves the baby and stranger together
• Stage 4 what is tested

  Reunion behaviour and secure base
• Stage 4 what happens

  Caregiver returns and stranger leaves
• stage 5 what happens

  Caregiver leaves baby alone
• Stage 5 what is tested

  Separation anxiety
• stage 6 what happens

  Stranger returns
• Stage 7 what happens

  caregiver returns and reunites with baby
• Stage 6 what is tested

  Stranger anxiety
• Stage 7 what is tested

  Reunion behaviour
• How long does each scenario

  3 minutes
• Type A

  Insecure avoidant
• Type B

  Secure
• Type C

  Insecure resistant
• Characteristics of type A

  Children avoid social interaction and intimacy

  no reaction when caregiver leaves

  Makes little effort to make contact upon reunion

  Do not require comfort

  Show little stranger anxiety

  Do not seek proximity
• Characteristics of type B

  Happily explore But often go back to their caregiver

  Shows moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety

  Require and accept comfort from caregiver upon reunion
• Characteristics of type C

  seek and reject intimacy and social interaction

  High stranger anxiety and separation distress

  Resist comfort upon union with caregiver

  seek greater proximity than others so they explore less
• Strength - predictive validity

  Attachment type defined by strange situation is a good predictor of later development

  evidence for validity of concept because it explain/predict future outcomes
• McCormick et al 2016


  Securely attached infants had better outcomes e.g better romantic relationships and more friends
• Strange situation may not actually measure attachment

  Kagan 1982 found it might not be measuring genetic differences in anxiety
• Strength - Inter-rater reliability

  More that one observer used on ratings used were compared by a panel of experience judges

  Behaviour categories were clearly defined so more reliable
• Ainsworth 1978 - inter rated reliability 


  Found an almost perfect agreement when rating exploratory behaviour- 0.94 agreement (1 is perfect)
• Cultural differences in children’s experiences mean they respond differently

  this means it is difficult to know what the strangr situation is measuring in some countries

  might not have the same meaning in countries outside if Western Europe and the USA where is was created 


  Culture bound test
• Weakness - 4th type of attachment

  Solomon 1986 proposed a 4th attachment type
• What was the 4th attachment type?

  Disorganised attachment
• What was the characteristics of disorganised attachment?

  Lack of consistent patterns of social behaviour

  Lack of coherent for dealing with stress of separation

  Odd mix Of resistant and avoidant