Ainsworth's Strange Situation

• (AO1) Define the ainsworth's strange situation (1971)


  Is an observational method for testing the strength of attachment between a caregiver and an infant
• (AO1) How many ppts, how old, how did she observe them, what were the observations she recorded?

  106 ppts from US, middle class. Infants aged 9-18 months.

  Ainsworth observed how the infants behaved through a 1 way mirror during a set of 8 scenarios, each lasting roughly 3 minutes.

  Seperation anxiety, reunion behaviour, exploration, stranger anxiety.
• (AO1) Give the first 4 scenarios and state the behaviour being tested

  1)Mother & infant enter room. Mother sits on chair, reads magazine. Child placed on floor, free to explore the toys - (exploration)

  
  

  2)Stranger enters, sits on second hair, talks briefly with mom - (stranger anxiety)

  
  

  3)Stranger approaches infant, attempts to interact - (stranger anxiety)

  
  

  4) Mother leaves, infant with stranger, stranger comforts baby if upset & offers to play with them - (seperation & stranger anxiety)
• (AO1) Give the next 4 scenarios

  5)Mother returns, stranger leaves - (reunion behaviour)

  
  

  6)Mother leaves, baby in room alone (seperation anxiety)

  
  

  7)Stranger enters to comfort / play with baby (stranger anxiety)

  
  

  8)Mother returns, stranger leaves (reunion behaviour)
• (AO1) Give the results of Ainsworth's study

  Results = Discovered that the infants displayed different attachment styles:

  • 22% showed type A = Insecure - avoidant
  • 66% showed type B = Secure
  • 12% showed type C = Insecure - resistant
• (AO1) Describe how 22% of the infants showed insecure - avoidant

  Exploration = infant explores unfamiliar environments, but does not return to mother (safe-base)

  
  

  Seperation anxiety = low, not concerned by the mother's departure

  
  

  Stranger anxiety = low, not concerned about stranger, showed little preference between mother and stranger

  
  

  Reunion behaviour = little reaction/joy upon reunion of mother, ignores her, not seeking proximity, avoids intimacy.
• (AO1) Describe how 66% of the infants showed secure

  Exploration = explores unfamiliar enviornments, returns to mother regularly, using her as a safe-base

  
  

  Seperation anxiety = moderate, the infant's play is seriously disrupted when the mother leaves (can cry)

  
  

  Stranger anxiety = moderate, infant is wary of strangers, will move closer to mother when she is there also with stranger (can cry)

  
  

  Reunion behaviour = pleased to see mother, seeks proximity, easily comforted by her presence, joy upon reunion
• (AO1) Describe how 12% of the infants showed insecure - resistant

  Exploration = does not explore, stays close to mother (clingy)

  
  

  Seperation anxiety = high, extremely distressed/violent when mother leaves

  
  

  Stranger anxiety = high, extremely distressed when stranger goes to comfort them

  
  

  Reunion behaviour = not easily comforted by mother, seeks by rejects/resists attempt of mother's comfort on reunion
• (AO3) Give a limitation of the stranger situation

  Point: Lacks ecological validity

  
  

  Evidence: Conducted observations in controlled, artificial setting, unfamiliar to both parents & infants. The children may have acted differently to how they would in a more familiar environment e.g. at home.

  
  

  Evaluate: Unsure as to whether the behaviours displayed by the children would have been the same if conducted in a familiar environment, making Ainsworth's findings less externally valid.
• (AO3) Give a strength of the stranger situation

  Point: High reliability

  
  

  Evidence: Observations took place under strict/controlled methods (including video recording) using predetermined behavioural categories. High inter - observer reliability = 94% of agreement on attachment classifications was ensured as she had several observers watching & coding the same infant behaviours.

  
  

  Evaluate: Findings are considered more meaningful.
• (AO3) Give a limitation of the stranger situation

  Point: The classification system of attachment types is incomplete.

  
  

  Evidence: Main and Solomon (1986) conducted subsequent research whereby they analysed several hundred strange situation episodes via videotape. They suggested that Ainsworth overlooked a 4th type, in which some infants showed inconsistent patterns of behaviour, which they termed = Type D: Insecure-disorganised.

  
  

  FURTHER SUPPORT: From a meta - analysis of studies from the US conducted by Van Ijzendoorn et al (1999), found that 15% of infants were classified as Type D.