Strange Situation Study (Ainsworth)

• Ainsworth believed that the type of attachment relationship formed between mother and child depended on how sensitive and responsive the mother was to her child's signals.
• Aim: To measure the quality of attachment young children have with their main attachment figure.
• Participants: an observational study on approximately one hundred one-year-old children and their mothers.
• Design: the IV was the mother and stranger leaving and entering the room and the DV was the observed behaviour of the children.
• Procedure: A controlled observational study where one-year-old children were exposed to seven episodes, in the same order, each lasting around three minutes. Researchers in the adjoining room observed the child through a one-way mirror and recorded the type and intensity of behaviour displayed in fifteen-second intervals.
• Proximity seeking: whether or not the infant stays in close proximity to the mother
• Exploration and secure-base behaviour: how confident the baby feels to explore their environment while using their mother as a secure base to return to.
• Stranger anxiety: how anxious the baby becomes around a stranger
• Separation anxiety: how anxious the baby becomes when separated from their mother
• Response to reunion: the behaviour shown by the baby when reunited with their mother after a period of seperation
• Procedure: The mother would encourage her baby to explore the room. An unfamiliar adult entered the room, spoke to the mother, and approached the baby. The mother left the room, and the baby was alone with the stranger. The mother returned, and the stranger left. The mother left, and the baby was completely alone. The stranger returned to the room. The mother returned to the room.
• It was the first empirical evidence for Bowlby's attachment theory
• Type A, Insecure avoidant attachment: The babay does not seek proximity with the mother. The infant is happy to explore but does not use the mother as a secure base. Shows very little anxiety stranger anxiety. Shows no sign of distress when the mother leaves. The infant shows little interest in the mother when she returns and may avoid contact. This is due to the mother ignoring the baby, and therefore the baby believes that communication about needs does not influence the mother.
• Type B, secure attachment: The baby is happy to seek proximity to the mother. The baby is happy to explore and also uses the mother as a secure base to explore. Stranger anxiety is moderate. Moderate separation distress, when the mother leaves the room. The infant is happy and seeks comfort from the mother when she returns. This is due to the mother being sensitive to the infant's needs and responding to the moods and feelings of infants correctly.
• Type C, insecure resistant attachment: The infant seeks great proximity to the mother. The baby explores very little and does not use the mother as a secure base to explore. The infant shows high levels of stranger anxiety. The infant shows high levels of separation distress when the mother leaves. The infant may approach the mother when she returns but resists comfort. This is due to the mother being inconsistent with primary care and sometimes ignoring/meeting the needs of the infant.
• Protection from harm: Ainsworth failed to protect the children's psychological welfare and failed to stop the study when distress occurred in the children which can be traumatising.
• Informed consent: It is uncertain whether Ainsworth collected written consent, that provided information about participant's rights and any possible psychological harm, from the parents.