types of attachments

• Ainsworth and Bell strange situation study procedure: controlled observation in a lab with a 2 way mirror through which psychologists can obeserve a baby's behaviour. 4 categories used to judge attachment quality: separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion behaviour, willingness to explore. The procedure has 7 'episodes', each lasting 3 mins: baby encouraged to explore by caregiver, stranger enters and approaches baby, caregiver leaves, caregiver returns and stranger leaves, caregiver leaves baby alone, stranger returns, caregiver returns
• Ainsworth and Bell strange situation study findings and conclusions


  • They identified 3 main types of attachment:
  • Secure attachment (60-75% babies) - baby happy to explore but seeks proximity to caregiver, shows moderate stranger and separation anxiety, requires and attempts comfort from caregiver on reunion
  • Insecure-avoidant attachment (20-25% babies) - baby explores freely but doesn't seek proximity, shows little separation and stranger anxiety, avoids contact at reunion
  • Insecure-resistant attachment (3% babies) - baby explores less and seeks greater proximity, shows great separation and stranger anxiety, resists comfort when returned with caregiver
• One strength of strange situation is that it has good predictive validity. Attachment type predicts later development. For example, secure babies typically have greater success at school (McCormick et al.). In contrast, insecure resistant attachment is associated with the worst outcomes like bullying and adult mental health problems. This is evidence for the validity of the concept because it can predict future outcomes
• One strength of the strange situation is that it has good inter-rated reliability. Different observers watching the same babies generally agree on attachment type. Bick et al. found 94% agreement in one team. This may be because the strange situation tales place under controlled condtions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe. This means that we can be confident that the attachment type of a baby identified in the strange situation doesn't just depend on who is observing them.
• One limitation of the strange situation is that it may be a culture-bound test. The strange situation test might not have the same meaning in countries outside Europe and the US where it was created. Cultural difference in children's experiences mean they respond differently (Japanese babies show anxiety because they are not used to being left by caregiver). This means it is difficult to know what the Strange Situation is measuring in some countries/cultures