Ainsworth's Strange Situation

• Strange Situation: Ainsworth (1969) -

  • controlled observation procedure to observe key attachment behaviours e.g. secure-base behaviour, proximity seeking & stranger/separation anxiety & to measure child's attachment to caregiver. Took place in a room with a two-way mirror so psychologists observed infants behaviour through it.
• 1. Child & caregiver enter an unfamiliar playroom
  2. Child encouraged to explore
  3. Stranger comes in, tries to interact with the child
  4. Caregiver leaves child alone with the stranger
  5. Caregiver returns, stranger leaves
  6. Caregiver leaves the child alone
  7. Stranger returns
  8. Caregiver is reunited with the child

  PROCEDURE!
• Types of attachment:

  • Secure = moderately dependant, happily explore but use the caregiver as a secure-base & show proximity-seeking behaviour. Moderate stranger & separation anxiety. Accept comfort upon reunion. 60-75% British toddlers.
• • Insecure-avoidant = extremely independent. Explores freely, no proximity-seeking or secure-base behaviour demonstrated. Little to no reaction when the caregiver leaves, little stranger anxiety. Doesn't require comfort upon reunion. 20-25% British toddlers.
• • Insecure-resistant = extremely dependant. Explore less as they seek more proximity. High stranger & separation anxiety. Resist comfort upon reunion as they are angry. 3% British toddlers.
• AO3 Strange Situation -

  • High inter-observer reliability, 94% found between observers, highly controlled conditions with behavioural categories. Increases internal validity.
  • Schaffer & Emerson, half the babies had attachments to their fathers but SS only looks at babies & mothers as the caregiver. Beta bias, may impact validity of findings
  • Low ecological validity as it was an unfamiliar playroom
  • Mothers may have demonstrated the hawthorne effect
  • Culture bias, imposed etic, ethnocentric
• Cultural Variations -

  • Culture = shared beliefs & values across groups
  • Collectivist = group effort & cooperation, focus on interpersonal development, favourable to social & obedience, less anti-social behaviour.
  • Individualist = personal achievement, initiative, independence, more anti-social behaviour.
• Cross-cultural Variations: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988) -

  • Researchers used 32 SS (secondary data) conducted in 8 countries. Results were meta-analysed = take secondary data, collate them in order to produce an overall conclusion.
• Results -

  • Secure was the most common attachment type.
  • Highest IR in Japan & Israel.
  • Highest IA in Germany.
  • Most countries had a similar % of secure.
  • Large variations for IA & IR. Demonstrating intra-cultural differences are greater than inter-cultural differences.

  ~ Intra = within cultures/countries

  ~ Inter = between cultures/countries
• AO3 Cultural Variations: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988) -

  • Ethical issues as collectivist cultures may be distressed, not a suitable method, imposed etic.
  • Meta-analysis of 8 different studies conducted by different people may reduce internal validity as standardisation may not have been like the original study. Although, the SS itself uses a standardised controlled procedure with behavioural categories so if it was correctly followed then findings should be applicable but we cannot say for sure.
• AO3 Cultural Variations: Van Ijzendoorn & Kroonenberg (1988) -

  • By meta-analysing a large sample is gathered of both individualist & collectivist cultures which is more likely to be able to be generalised, more representative.
  • Some countries had small samples e.g. UK had 1. These samples cannot be generalised across whole countries as there can be more than one culture in a country & meta-analysing does not take this into account - not representative.
• Van Ijzendoorn + Kroonenberg (1988) -

  
• AO3 -

  • The Strange Situation was created and tested in the USA, which means that it may be culturally biased (ethnocentric), as it will reflect the norms and values of American culture.
  • This is a problem as it assumes that attachment behavior has the same meaning in all cultures when in fact, cultural perception and understanding of behavior differ greatly. For example, the belief that attachment is related to anxiety on separation. This may not be the case in other cultures, e.g., Japan.
• Distinguish between secure & insecure-avoidant -

  • secure attachment shows moderate levels of stranger anxiety whereas insecure-avoidant shows low levels.
  • secure shows moderate levels of separation anxiety whereas insecure-avoidant shows low levels
  • secure shows joy on reunion whereas insecure avoidant shows little response
  • secure shows use of attachment figure as a safe base whereas insecure-avoidant shows high levels of independent behaviour
• AO3 Strange Situation -

  • controlled observation lacks ecological validity
  • standardised procedure allows for replication
  • sole focus on the mother-child relationship - SSR
  • culture-bound test/imposed etic
  • procedure may measure something other than attachment type, e.g. temperament reduces internal validity
• Cultural Variations in attachment -

  • higher rates of insecure-avoidant attachments among German infants (mothers encourage independence)
  • higher rates of insecure-resistant attachments in collectivist cultures, e.g. Japan (Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg, 1988)