key study

• what is the name of the study?

  Ainsworth and Bell (1970) attachment, exploration and seperation; illistrated by the behaviour of one-year olds in a strange situation
• what was the aim ?

  to observe a lab situation the attachment behaviours of a child using the stnage situation as an illustration for these behaviours
• participants?

  56 children brought up in white mid class familys

  found through privet pediatrition

  23 were observed from birth and were 51 weeks old when they were put in a strange situation

  33 were observed at 49 weeks
• Procedure ?

  each child was tested individually,

  1. mother carries baby into room
  2. mother sits down and only participates if child seeks attention
  3. stranger enters and sits for 1 min
  4. mother leaves, stranger sits and egages with the baby, t5ries to comfort for 3 mins
  5. mother enters and waits at door for baby to see and respons, stranger leave
  6. mother leaves baby alone for 3 mins
  7. stranger enters and sits comforts/ plays
  8. Mother returns and stranger leaves
• what was the set up?

  9 feet by 9 feet room with toys and seats. child was aloud to move freely. observers were in a adjoining room with one way mirror and recorded narrative accounts that were annalyised at each 15 secs
• results - exporatory behaviour is reduced when left with stranger and increased when mother interacted with the baby
• results

  • crying - increased when mother left and went down when she returned but sencond time continued
  • search behaviour - moderate without mother but increased with stranger and was highest when alone
  • proximity seekinging and contact maintaing behaviour - seen most after mom returned and contact maintaing spiked on the second time mom reunited.
  • contact resistant and proximity avoiding behaviours - resistance wasnt show till the reunion and was only shown by some . less of this behaviour towards the stranger
• discussion

  • children were more exportative when mother was present
  • when situation change attachment behaviour increased ( clingy) and didn't return to normal
• Disscussion about propositions for comprehensive concept of attachment based off this study as well as previous research

  • attachment can occour with or without attachment behavours
  • attachement behaviours are shown in more threatening situatons
  • attachment behavioura are incompatable with exploratory behaviours
  • may be shown less after a prolonged absense of the attachment figure but dosnt mean attachment has lessend
  • individual differences show there are differences in moth-child attachments, but these don't imply differences in strengths of attachment