Aimsworth and bell - Study

• aim


  the attachment and exploration behaviours of a child using a 'strange situation'
• research method


  controlled observation
• sample


  56 infants of white, middle class parents, 11-12 months (in 4th bowlby stage)
• procedure


  small room arranged in a standardised way including chairs and toys, both mother and stranger told roles beforehand, 8 parts, one-way mirror used for observation, high inter-rater reliability, designed to encourage exploratory behaviour, and strange enough to evoke fear/attachment behaviours
• 8 episodes of strange situation

  1. observer shows mother and infant into room then leaves
  2. mother sits and watches child play

  3. stranger enters, talks to mother, tries to interact with infant

  4. mother leaves, stranger tries to interact with infant

  5. mother returns, stranger leaves

  6. mother leaves, infant alone

  7. stranger enters, tries to interact with child

  8. mother returns, comforts child, stranger leaves*cut short if child became distressed
• results

  • babies used mother as secure base to explore, but when mother left there was a decline in exploratory behaviourcrying most prominent in stage 4 and 6 when mother leaves, did not increase significantly in presence of stranger52 infants cried and/or searched when alonecontact maintaining increased in 1st reunion episode and even more in 2ndin reunion episodes, some babies resisted contact with mother
• secure attachment


  70%, infant is upset when mother leaves, happy on reunion, avoidant of stranger when mother is absent, but okay when present, mother=sensitive and responsive, child=positive and loved
• insecure avoidant attachment


  15%, infant unconcerned by mother's absence, unresponsive on return, avoidant of mother and stranger, mother=unresponsive, child=unloved, rejected
• insecure resistant attachment (me)


  15%, intense distress on separation, fear of stranger, clingy and rejecting on return, mother=unresponsive, child=angry, confused
• conclusion


  absence of attachment figure heightens attachment and lessens exploration in strange situation, 3 different attachment styles (individual differences), 'sensitive' mothers are more likely to have securely attached children