Types of Attachment

Question 1

the strange situation

Answer 1

• methodology used by Ainsworth to investigate the differences in attachments between infants + their caregivers
• controlled observation in a room w/ toys
• investigators observed the infants in a series of 3 min episodes:
• mother + baby
• stranger enters
• mother leaves
• mother returns etc..

= recorded an infants:
- proximity seeking
- stranger anxiety
- seperation protest
- reunion joy

Question 2

three types of attachment

Answer 2

• type A = insecure-avoidant
• type B = secure
• type C = insecure-resistant

Question 3

type A

Answer 3

• insecure avoidant
• 20% of babies
• largely ignore their caregiver
  = play independently while they explore the room
• show no signs of distress when the caregiver is absent (no separation protest)
• continue to ignore when they come back (no reunion joy)
• baby is distresses when left alone but comforted by stranger easily (no stranger anxiety)

Question 4

type B

Answer 4

• secure
• 70% of babies
• happily play while their caregiver is present
• use them as a safe base while they explore the room + play w/ toys
• baby is clearly distressed when caregiver leaves (separation protest)
• seeks immediate contact w/ their caregiver when they return (reunion joy)
• caregiver easily comforts them
• baby is wary of strangers (stranger anxiety), but accepts some comfort from them

Question 5

type C

Answer 5

• insecure resistant
• 10% of babies
• fussy + cry more than other babies
• will not explore the room or play w/ toys
  = clingy
• baby is distressed when caregiver leaves (extreme separation protest)
• however resist comfort from caregiver on reunion (no reunion joy)
• strongly resist the stranger’s attempts to make contact (stranger anxiety)

Question 6

ad

Answer 6

• the strange situation has been replicated many times over the years
• easy to replicate
• due to high level of control + standardised procedures
• carried out successfully in many different cultures

Question 7

disads

Answer 7

• cultural bias
• validity
• gender bias
• ecological validity

Question 8

cultural bias - disads

Answer 8

• methodology was developed in the US
  = culturally biased
• attachment behaviour that is seen as healthy in the US, may not be in other cultures
• in Germany, at this time, very few mothers worked
• but children were encouraged to be independent + self reliant
• German parents view some secure attachment behaviours e.g. crying etc.. as spoilt = don’t reward this behaviour
  = this is why these children may have shown less anxiety when separated from their mothers
  = classed as avoidant

Question 9

validity - disads

Answer 9

• validity of some measures has been questioned
• could argue that proximity seeking could be a measure of insecurity rather than security

Question 10

gender bias - disads

Answer 10

• strange situation is gender biased
  = only ever carried out as the mother as the caregiver
• children may be insecurely attached to their mothers
• but may be securely attached to their fathers
• the strange situation is therefore not measuring overall attachment style but their attachment to one individual

Question 11

ecological validity - disads

Answer 11

• the strange situation being artificial
• may not reflect the infant’s real world behaviour
  = lacks ecological validity
• studies have found that babies’ attachment behaviours are much stronger in lab settings than in home environment