Ainsworth's Strange situation and types of attachment

• Strange situation is an observational method for testing attachment strenght between a caregiver and an infant devised by ainsworth et al.
• Infants between 9-18 months placed in situation of mild stress, where left alone, left with a stranger and reunited with a caregiver. Observed through a one way mirror during 8 different set scenarios, each approximately three minutes.
• Observations of the following behaviours were recorded

  1. Separation anxiety/ distress on separation
  2. reunion behaviour/ seeking proximity
  3. exploration/ safe base behaviour
  4. stranger anxiety
• stages (behaviour being tested)

  1. mother and infant enter the room, mother sits on chair and reads magazine. child is placed on floor and free to explore toys. (exploration)
  2. Stranger enters and sits on second chair and talks briefly with mother (stranger anxiety)
  3. Stranger approaches infant and attempts to interact and play (stranger anxiety)
  4. mother leaves room so infant is alone with stranger. stranger comforts baby if upset and offers to play with them. (separation anxiety and stranger anxiety)
• stages ( behaviours being tested)

  5. mother returns and stranger leaves (reunion behaviour)

  6. mother departs again and leaves the baby briefly alone in the room (separation anxiety)

  7. stranger re enters and offers to comfort and play with the baby (stranger anxiety)

  8. mother returns and stranger leaves (reunion behaviours)
• the 3 attachment types are secure, insecure avoidant and insecure resistant
• Secure behaviours

  • Exploration: infant explores, using mother as safe base in regular intervals
  • Separation anxiety: moderate. play is seriously disrupted when mother leaves
  • Stranger anxiety: moderate. infant is wary, and will move closer to mother when she is present
  • reunion behaviour: pleased to see her, easily comforted.
• Insecure-avoidant behaviours

  • exploration: infant explores, doesn't return to mother as a safe base.
  • Separation anxiety: low. not concerned by mothers departure
  • Stranger anxiety: low. unconcerned about stranger, shows little preference between stranger and mother.
  • reunion behaviour: little reaction, may ignore her, doesn't show joy
• Insecure resistant behaviour

  • exploration: doesn't explore, stays close to mother
  • separation anxiety: high. extremely distressed and violent
  • stranger anxiety: high. extreme distress
  • reunion behaviour: not easily comforted, rejects the mothers attempts at comfort