Ainsworth+cultural variations

• What did Ainsworth's method assess and how?

  - quality of attachment by placing an infant in a situation of novelty (encourage exploration and secure base behaviours.)

  - testing separation anxiety and stranger anxiety by using mild stress.

  - measured behaviours on reunion
• What ethical issue is in Ainsworth's study?

  protection from harm - intention of the study was to cause 'stress' to the infant and this may cause psychological harm.
• Who did Ainsworth study?

  106 middle class American infants aged 9-18 months and their mothers.
• What was the problem with Ainsworth's sample?

  - only looked at attachment with mothers

  - was only American

  this meant the sample was limited, did not represent the whole target population, so findings can not be generalised.
• what was Ainsworth's method?

  used a controlled observation in a laboratory setting. Observers recorded the infants' and mothers' behviour during a set of 8 predetermined stages.
• what was a strength of Ainsworth using lab setting?

  higher control of extraneous variables which improves the validity.
• what is a limitation of Ainsworth using lab setting?

  has low ecological validity, as mothers and infants are not in a real life setting so behaviours observed may not be natural.
• Who were the 3 people involved in Ainsworth's study?

  mother

  infant

  stranger
• how many episodes did Ainsworth's situation consist of?

  8
• Ainsworth episode 1:


  observer takes mother and infant into room and then leaves (30 secs.)
• Ainsworth episode 2 + behaviour being recorded:

  mother allows baby to explore and stimulates play if necessary (3 mins.) Records exploration and secure base.
• Ainsworth episode 3 + behaviour being recorded:

  Stranger enters room, stranger is silent (1 min), talks with mother (1min), then approaches baby (1 min). Records stranger anxiety.
• Ainsworth episode 4 + behaviour being recorded:

  Mother leaves and stranger interacts with baby (3 mins - or less if baby becomes distressed). Records separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.
• Ainsworth episode 5 + behaviour being recorded:

  Mother returns and greets and/or comforts baby - the stranger leaves- the mother settles baby in play ( 3 mins) Records reunion behaviour and exploration and secure base.
• Ainsworth episode 6 + behaviour being recorded:


  Baby is alone (3 mins - less if distressed). records separation anxiety.
• Ainsworth episode 7 + behaviour being recorded:

  Stranger enters and interacts with child (3 mins - less if distressed). Records stranger anxiety and separation anxiety.
• Ainsworth episode 8 + behaviour being recorded:


  Mother returns, greets and picks up baby - stranger leaves (3 mins). Records reunion behaviour.
• what were the 5 main behaviours Ainsworth was observing for each attachment?

  - willingness to explore + secure base behaviour.

  - stranger anxiety

  - separation anxiety.

  - behaviour on reunion

  - caregiver's behaviour
• what were the 3 types of attachment types displayed by infants in the strange situation?

  - secure

  - insecure-avoidant

  - insecure-resistant
• What were the five behaviour types like in secure attachment?

  - high willingness to explore, and uses caregiver as a secure base.

  - moderate stranger anxiety.

  - some separation anxiety, but easy to sooth.

  - accepts comfort on reunion.

  - caregivers are sensitive and soothing.
• what percentage of infants showed a secure attachment?

  66%
• what were the 5 behaviour types like in insecure-avoidant attachment?

  - high willingness to explore, but do not use their caregiver as a secure base.

  - low stranger anxiety.

  - indifferent to seperation.

  - avoids contact on reunion.

  - caregiver may ignore the infant.
• what percentage of infants showed an insecure-avoidant attachment?

  22%
• what were the 5 behaviour types like in insecure-resistant attachment?

  - low willingness to explore, but clingy of their caregiver.

  - high stranger anxiety.

  - distressed by separation.

  - seeks and rejects on reunion.

  - caregivers behaviour is ambivalent.
• what percentage of infants showed insecure-resistant attachment?

  12%
• How does the strange situation show good predictive validity?

  Those with secure attachment tend to have better outcomes in both childhood and adulthood. Babies assessed having insecure resistant and not falling into types A,B or C tend to have the worst outcome.
• How does the strange situation show good reliability?

  Johanna Bick et al tested inter rate reliability and found agreement on attachment types in 94% of cases. This may be because it is under controlled conditions, and involves large movements that are easy to spot.
• What suggests the strange situation may measure temperament rather than attachment?


  what is measured and associated with later life may not be attachment and could be genetically influenced by anxiety.
• Why might Ainsworth's attachment not be complete?

  Main and Solomon identified a 4th type of attachment called disorganised attachment that involved a mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours. these infants generally have experienced sever neglect or abuse and go on to develop psychological disorders by adulthood.
• who studies cultural variations in attachment?

  Van Ijzendoorn
• in what way are people in all cultures the same in terms of infant-caregiver interactions?

  - infants need a caregiver to survive.

  - innate drive to form an attachment, because we have evolved to do so.

  - Bowlby- this needs to be one special person at least. Babies will exhibit behaviours and have features that unlock adult's desire to provide care. (monotropy and social releasers.)
• what was the procedure by Van Ijzendoorn and Kroon Enburg?

  they carried out a meta-analysis of 32 studies using the strange situation conducted in 8 countries. They had a total sample of 1990 mother-baby pairs.
• what were Ijzendoorn and Enburg trying to find out?

  if the strange situation was a valid test of attachment type across the world.
• what was significant about USA for cultural variation?

  origin of the strange situation. Most of the samples were from here.
• what was significant about GB for cultural variation?

  Has the highest rate of securely attached infants (75%)
• what was significant about China for cultural variation?

  Had the lowest rate of securely attached infants (25%)
• what was significant about West Germany for cultural variation and why might this be ?

  high levels of insecure-avoidant (35%)

  independence is prized in Germany and children are encouraged to be independent from a very young age.
• What was significant about Japan for cultural variation and why might this be?

  High levels of insecure-resistant.

  Prior to late 1980's, infants were always with their mothers at all times. There were low levels of women working outside of the home and low levels of childcare use. High levels of proximity with the mother, including co-sleeping up to the age of 6 years.
• what were the overall findings of Ijzendoorn's study?

  - secure attachment was the most common in every country studied.

  - there was more variation within than between countries.

  - one USA study found 94% securely attached which is a huge variation to Ainsworth's results of 66%

  - Tokyo sample results were more like the sample of US that any other Japanese rural study.
• what were the conclusions of Ijzendoorn's study?

  - the research provides evidence that culture affects the type of attachment behaviour and infant shows.

  - therefore, the strange situation does not provide an accurate measure of attachment in all cultures.