5. Types of Attachment

• 1. Types of Attachment - Strange Situation

  Ainsworth (1969) - Strange Situation:

  • Observe attachment behaviours to assess quality attachment to caregiver.
  • 106 American caregivers + infants.
  • Controlled observation + standardised procedure.
  • Recorded every 20sec in 7 diff 3min ‘episodes’.
• 2. Types of Attachment

  Measures of Attachment:

  • Proximity-Seeking.
  • Exploration + Secure Base Behaviour.
  • Stranger Anxiety.
  • Separation Anxiety.
  • Response to Reunion.
• 3. Types of Attachment

  Ainsworth (1969) - ‘Episodes’:

  • Mother/Infant = secure base/exploration.
  • Stranger/Mother/Infant = stranger anxiety.
  • Stranger/Infant; stranger offers comfort = separation + stranger anxiety.
  • Mother/Infant; parent offers comfort = reunion behaviour/exploration.
  • Infant = separation anxiety.
  • Stranger/Infant = stranger anxiety.
  • Mother/Infant = reunion behaviour.
• 4. Types of Attachment

  Ainsworth (1969) - Results:

  Type A (insecure-avoidant) - 15%

  • exploration.
  • low separation/stranger anxiety.
  • avoid contact reunion.
  • indifferent.
• 4a. Types of Attachment

  Ainsworth (1969) - Results:

  Type B (secure-attachment) - 70%

  • exploration.
  • high stranger anxiety.
  • calmed easily.
  • enthusiastic contact reunion.
  • sensitivity.
• 4b. Types of Attachment

  Ainsworth (1969) - Results:

  Type C (insecure-resistant) - 15%

  • low exploration.
  • high separation/stranger anxiety.
  • seek/reject contact reunion.
  • ambivalent.
• 4c. Types of Attachment

  Main + Solomon (1986):

  Type D (insecure-disorganised):

  • lack consistent social behaviour.
  • high separation anxiety.
  • strong attachment, then avoidance, then fear.
• Types of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - outcome predicts aspects of infant development.

  E - infants assessed Type B (70%), better outcome in child/adulthood.

  E - e.g. better achievements or mental health.

  L - measures meaningful aspects of development; real-life application.
• Types of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - not all psychologists believe SS measures att.

  E - Kagan (1982), genetically-influenced anxiety levels could explain SS variations (sep/str anxiety).

  L - SS not measure attachment, lowers internal validity, which lowers reliability.
• Types of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - good inter-rater reliability.

  E - Bick et al. (2012) tested inter-rater reliability for SS; agreement on attachment types in 94% cases.

  E - infant movements easy observe + controlled condition = high reliability.

  L - attachment types by SS not subjective.
• Types of Attachment (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - not valid measure of attachment in different cultural contexts; developed in GB/USA so only valid in Western countries (culture-bound).

  E - Takahashi (1986), Japanese study; high separation anxiety + many classified insecure-resistant.

  E - anxiety response not bc of high rates att., but bc unusual nature of experience in Japan, where separation rare.

  L - difficult to know what SS measuring outside Western, lack cultural generalisability.