Types of attachment - ainsworths strange situation

• Ainsworth worked with Bowlby on the development of attachment theory. Her particular contribution was to produce a method, still used today, to assess the strength of attachment between an infant and others.
• She measured the quality of infant attachment with the caregiver by placing them in different situations
• A sample of 100 American middle class infants aged 12- 18 months were used
• Ainsworth used a controlled observation in a laboratory setting and observed the infants and mothers behaviour in 8 different stages
• Procedure  Controlled observation designed to measure the security of attachment between a child and their caregiver  A two-way mirror was used to observe behaviour Behaviours used to judge attachment were as follows: ✓ Proximity seeking – an infant with a good attachment will stay close to the caregiver ✓ Exploration and secure-base behaviour – good attachment enables a child to feel confident to explore and they use their caregiver as a secure base, where they feel safe
• Procedure Behaviours used to judge attachment were as follows: ✓ Stranger anxiety – one of the signs of being closely attached is a display of anxiety when a stranger approaches ✓ Separation anxiety – one of the signs of being closely attached is to be angry/upset when separated from caregiver ✓ Response to reunion – how they react when their caregiver comes back
• STAGE 1 Caregiver and infant go into unfamiliar playroom. The child is placed on the floor and is free to explore the toys

  Tests exploration and secure -base behaviour
• Stage 2 - mom is in the room and stranger enters the stranger briefly talks to caregiver and attempts to play with the infant

  This tests stranger anxiety
• Stage 3 the caregiver leaves the room and the stranger interacts with the infant

  Tests separation and stranger anxiety
• Stage 4 the caregiver returns to the room

  Tests reunion behaviour and secure base behaviour and exploration
• Stage 5 everyone leaves and infants alone in the room

  Tests separation anxiety
• Stage 6 the stranger returns

  Tests stranger anxiety
• Stage 7 caregiver returns and is reunited with the child this tests reunion behaviour
• Securely Attached Would explore the unfamiliar room and use the mother as a safe base to explore the environment Distressed when mother leaves  Avoidant of stranger when alone but friendly when the mother is present. Positive and happy when mother returns.
• Insecure-Avoidant ➢ Infants did not orientate towards the mother while investigating the room and toys ➢ Infant shows no sign of distress when mother leaves ➢ Infant avoided the stranger and plays normally when stranger is present, therefore did not seem concerned when mother is absent ➢ Infant shows little interest when mother returns. ➢ Mother and stranger are able to comfort infant equally well
• Insecure-Resistant ➢ Showed intense distress, particularly when their mother was absent ➢ Infant avoids the stranger showing fear of the stranger ➢ Child approaches mother when she returns but resists contact, may even push her away ➢ Infant cries more and explores less than the other 2 types
• Findings: Ainsworth found that there was one attachment type that was most common among American children which was 66% secure attachment

  22% insecure attachment

  12% insecure resistant
• Efficient: could measure a lot of behaviours quite quickly and easily bring in lots of participants
• Easy to replicate

  ✓No demand characteristics

  from baby
• Validity: location is different from infant’s normal environment.
• Demand characteristics from mum
• Generalisations: findings of this study are restricted to it’s sample type (middle-class Americans
• What is a limitation of the strange situation study?

  It has low external validity due to its artificial environment.
• Why might the artificial environment of the strange situation affect the children's behavior?

  It could cause the children to act unnaturally.
• How might the mothers' awareness of being observed impact their behavior in the strange situation?

  It might cause them to feel tense and act unnaturally.
• What is social desirability bias in the context of the strange situation study?

  It is when mothers want to be seen as good mothers, affecting their behavior.
• How might the mothers' anxiety influence their children's behavior in the strange situation?

  The children may pick up on the unnatural behavior of their mothers and act unnaturally themselves.
• Why is the low validity of the strange situation a concern for measuring attachment styles?

  Because it may not actually measure true attachment styles.
• What are the implications of low external validity in the strange situation study?

  • Results may not generalize to real-world settings
  • Findings may not reflect true attachment behaviors
  • Limits the applicability of the study's conclusions
• What is one limitation of the Strange Situation in measuring attachment?

  It may not be a valid measure of attachment in different cultural contexts.
• In which countries was the Strange Situation developed?

  Britain and the U.S.
• Why might the Strange Situation be limited to certain cultures?

  Because babies have different experiences in different cultures that affect their responses.
• What did Takahashi (1986) observe about Japanese mothers and infants?

  Japanese mothers are rarely separated from infants, leading to high levels of separation anxiety.
• What was the consequence of high levels of separation anxiety in Japanese infants in the Strange Situation?

  A disproportionate number were classified as insecure-resistant.
• What does the limitation of the Strange Situation imply about its use outside Europe and the US?

  It is difficult to know what the Strange Situation is measuring in those contexts.
• What is an imposed etic in research?

  Using a research tool designed in one culture and applying it in another, assuming it has the same meaning.
• What are the implications of using the Strange Situation across different cultures?

  • May not accurately measure attachment
  • Cultural differences in infant experiences affect responses
  • High separation anxiety in some cultures may lead to misclassification