Types of attachment

• Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation'


  A controlled observation procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a baby displays towards a caregiver
• Strange Situation


  • Developed by Mary Ainsworth and Silvia Bell (1970)
  • Aim was to observe key attachment behaviours to assess the quality of a baby's attachment
• Strange Situation procedure (each lasts 3 minutes)


  1. Caregiver and baby enter an unfamiliar playroom

  2. Baby is encouraged to explore

  3. A stranger comes in, talks to the caregiver and approaches the baby

  4. The caregiver leaves the baby and stranger together

  5. The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves

  6. The caregiver leaves the baby alone

  7. The stranger returns

  8. The caregiver returns and is reunited with the baby
• Behaviours used to judge attachment

  • Proximity-seeking
  • Exploration and secure-base behaviour
  • Stranger anxiety
  • Separation anxiety
  • Response to reunion
• Secure attachment (Type B)


  Babies explore happily but regularly go back to their caregiver, showing proximity-seeking and secure-base behaviour. They usually show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. Securely attached babies require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage. About 60-75% of British babies are classified as secure.
• Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A)

  Babies explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour. They show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety. They make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns and may even avoid them.
• Insecure-resistant attachment (Type C)

  Babies seek greater proximity than others and so explore less. They show high levels of stranger and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with their caregiver. Around 3% of British babies are classified as insecure-resistant.
• Ainsworth's findings

  • 3 types distinct patterns in how babies behaved
  • identified 3 types of attachment