AO1 - Ainsworth's Strange Situation: Types of Attachment

• Aim: to identify and categorise infant attachment styles
• Method: controlled observation using the 'strange situation classification'
• Sample: 100 middle-class American infants and their mothers
• Ainsworth judges the child's reaction to four variables via a two-way mirror

  1. Willingness to explore environment
  2. Separation anxiety
  3. Stranger anxiety
  4. Reunion behaviour
• Procedure (each episode lasts 3 minutes):

  1. Parent enters room with child, child explores - willingness to explore environment
  2. Stranger enters and joins the parent and infant, tries to interact with the child - stranger anxiety
  3. Parent leaves the infant with the stranger - stranger and separation anxiety
  4. Parent returns and the stranger leaves, the parent settles the infant - reunion behaviour
  5. Parent leaves the child alone - separation anxiety
  6. Stranger returns - stranger anxiety
  7. Parent returns and stranger leaves - reunion behaviour
• Findings - 3 types of attachment:

  • Secure - 70% of the sample
  • Insecure avoidant - 20% of the sample
  • Insecure resistant - 10% of the sample
• Secure attachment - responsive caregiver:

  • Willingness to explore environment: use mother as secure base
  • Separation anxiety: upset and subdued
  • Stranger anxiety: avoidant of stranger but friendly when mum there
  • Reunion behaviour: positive/happy
• Insecure avoidant attachment - unresponsive caregiver:

  • Willingness to explore environment: willing to explore
  • Separation anxiety: unconcerned
  • Stranger anxiety: unconcerned, often avoidant of stranger and mother
  • Reunion behaviour: unresponsive
• Insecure resistant attachment - inconsistent caregiver:

  • Willingness to explore environment: low willingness to explore
  • Separation anxiety: intensely distressed
  • Stranger anxiety: extreme fear of stranger
  • Reunion behaviour: clinginess mixed with rejection