Ainsworth and Bell

Question 1

Ainsworth and Bell aim

Answer 1

To use a lab setting and conduct a controlled observation to investigate attachment behaviours by placing babies in “strange situations”

Question 2

Ainsworth and Bell ppts

Answer 2

56 children, 49-51 weeks
White middle class parents
Found through paediatricians in a private practice

Question 3

Ainsworth and Bell procedure

Answer 3

1. Mother carries baby into room, observer follows then leaves
2. Mother puts child in specific place and sits down quietly in her chair, only participating if child seeks attention
3. Stranger enters, sits for 1 minute, talks to mother for 1 minute, approaches baby with a toy. Mother leaves after 3 minutes.
4. Stranger sits if baby happy, if baby inactive stranger engages with toys; if baby distressed, stranger tries to distract or comfort for 3 minutes unless child cannot be comforted.
5. Mother enters and waits at door for baby to see and respond; stranger leaves; once baby is settled with toys mother leaves saying “bye bye”
6. Baby left alone for 3 minutes unless distressed.
7. Stranger enters, sits if baby happy, if baby inactive stranger engages with toys; if distressed tries to distract or comfort for 3 minutes unless child cannot be comforted.
8. Mother returns and stranger leaves.

Tested individually, intended to mimic everyday life, observed through one-way mirror, room marked into 16 squares.
Time sampling every 15 seconds, behaviour recorded for strength (7 point scale), frequency and duration

Question 4

Ainsworth and Bell results

Answer 4

Exploratory behaviour: reduced when child left with stranger. Showed more interest when mother engaged but not when stranger engaged.
Crying: minimal crying when stranger entered but increased when mother left. Peaked in episode 6 and didn’t decrease in episode 7 when stranger returned.
Search behaviour (following mother to door): increased when stranger was present without mother and increased most when left alone in episode 6
Proximity seeking and contact maintaining (reaching for mother and resisting release): contact maintaining shown most when mother returned but less towards stranger
Contact-resisting and proximity avoiding(pushing away/ignoring adult): avoidant behaviours show mostly when mother returned. About a third of all babies resisted contact towards mother when she returned in episode 5.

Question 5

Ainsworth and Bell conclusions

Answer 5

Attachment figure is used as a secure base for exploration by infant
Attachment is different between care-giver and child and stranger and child

Question 6

BACKGROUND: Bowlby

Answer 6

Ppts: 44 juvenile thieves who had been transferred to the child guidance clinic, and a comparison group
Method: Given assessments in their intelligence, emotional attitude towards the test and psychiatric history then interviewed.
Results: teenagers separated from their mothers in the first 2 years of their lives were more likely to show “affectionless psychopathy”

Question 7

BACKGROUND: Hodges and Tizzard

Answer 7

Longitudinal study in whilst enjoying who were admitted to a home before 6 months who were either adopted or returned to mother by 4 years old
Showed attachment did happen after the critical period, but more often with adoptive parents as they tried harder
There were still long-term behavioural effects such as having fewer friends, being more likely to bully and worse sibling relationships than control group at age 15