Ainsworth's Strange Situation

• Who developed the Strange Situation experiment?

  Ainsworth and Bell in 1970.
• What was the aim of the experiment?

  Aims to observe key attachment behaviours to assess the quality of a baby's attachment to the caregiver.
• What type of observation was the Strange Situation?

  Controlled observation with 2 way mirrors or cameras.
• What were the 5 behaviours used to judge the baby's attachment?

  Proximity seeking behaviour.

  Exploration and secure base behaviour.

  Stranger anxiety.

  Seperation anxiety.

  Response to reunion behaviour.
• What is proximity seeking behaviour?

  A good attachment will have baby staying fairly close to caregiver.
• What is exploration and secure base behaviour?

  Good attachment enables a child to feel confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base.
• What is response to reunion behaviour?

  Good attachment should have baby reacting with pleasure when caregiver returns.
• How long were each of the 7 episodes of the Strange Situation?

  3 minutes each.
• What were the 7 episodes in the Strange Situation?

  1. Child is encouraged to explore by caregiver

  2. Stranger enters and talks to caregiver

  3. Caregiver leaves

  4. The caregiver returns, the stranger leaves

  5. The caregiver leaves the child alone

  6. The stranger returns

  7. The caregiver returns
• What behaviour does the child being encouraged to explore test (1)?

  Tests exploration and secure base behaviour.
• What behaviour does the stranger entering and talking test (2)?

  Tests stranger anxiety.
• What behaviour does caregiver leaving baby and stranger together test (3)?

  Tests seperation and stranger anxiety.
• What behaviour does caregiver returning and stranger leaving test (4)?


  Tests reunion and exploration/ secure base behaviour.
• What behaviour does caregiver leaving baby alone test (5)?

  Tests seperation anxiety.
• What behaviour does stranger returning test (6)?

  Tests stranger anxiety.
• What behaviour does caregiver returning and being reunited test (7)?

  Tests reunion behaviour.
• What are the 3 attachment styles Ainsworth suggested from her findings?

  Secure attachment - Type B.

  Insecure-avioidant attachment- Type A.

  Insecure-resistant- Type C.
• What is the insecure-avoidment attachment (Type A)?

  Babies will...

  Explore freely and dont seek proximity or show secure base behaviour.

  Show little reaction when caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety.

  Little effort to make contact on reunion.
• How many British babies have insecure-avoidment attachment (Type A)?

  20-25%.
• What is secure attachment (Type B)?

  Babies will...

  Explore happily but regularly go back to caregiver (proximity and secure base).

  Moderate seperation distress and stranger anxiety.
• How many British babies will have secure attachment (Type B)?

  60-75%.
• What is insecure-resistant attachment (Type C)?

  Babies will...

  Seek greater proximity and explore less.

  High levels of stranger and seperation distress.

  Resist comfort when reunited with caregiver.
• How many British babies have insecure-resistant attachment (Type C)?

  3%.
• How does the Strange Situation findings have good predictive validity? (strength)

  The outcomes predict a number of aspects of baby's later development e.g research to show Type B babies have better outcomes which include achievement in school (McCormick) and less involvement in bullying (Kokkinos), tend to have better mental health in adulthood (Ward).

  Shows the experiment measures something real and meaningful to development.
• What is a counter argument to the fact that the Strange Situation findings have good predictive validity?

  Not all psychologists believe it measures attachment e.g Kagan suggested genetically influenced anxiety levels may account for variations in attachment behaviour. Perhaps the findings lack validity and might just be a correlation.
• How does the Strange Situation have good reliability? (strength)

  There is inter-rater reliability and Bick tested this by getting a team of trained observers to observe the babies behaviours and found agreement on attachment in 94% of cases, perhaps as behaviours were easy to observe e.g crying.

  Objective.
• How many the Strange Situation findings be culture bound? (limitation)

  Attachment styles may not be a valid measure in different cultural contexts as strange situation was developed in UK and US.

  One reason is that babies have different experiences so may affect their responses to the experiment.

  E.g Japanese study Takahashi- babies showed high seperation anxiety so a disproportionate amount classified as type C (raised more closely to mother in Japnan as suggested).
• Who later developed a Type D attachment style?

  Main and Solomon- mix of resistant and avoidment behaviours who usually experienced severe neglect and go onto develop psychological disorders.