Strange Situation

Question 1

What is does secure-base behaviour assses?

Answer 1

Assesses exploration and contact behaviour with caregiver

Question 2

What does anxiety assess?

Answer 2

Assesses stranger and separation anxiety

Question 3

What does reunion asses?

Answer 3

Assesses the child’s response to caregiver’s return

Question 4

What are the 7 episodes of the strange situation?

Answer 4

1. The caregiver encourages the baby to explore.
2. A stranger enters, talks to the caregiver and approaches the baby.
3. The caregiver leaves the baby and strange together.
4. The caregiver returns and the strange leaves.
5. The caregiver leaves so the baby is alone
6. The stranger returns.
7. The caregiver returns and is reunited with the baby

Question 5

What are the 3 attachment types?

Answer 5

Secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant

Question 6

What were Ainsworth’s findings?

Answer 6

The most common was secure (66%), 22% were insecure avoidant and 12% were insecure-resistant

Question 7

What causes a secure attachment?

Answer 7

A sensitive and responsive primary caregiver

Question 8

What causes and insecure-avoidant attachment?

Answer 8

An unresponsive primary caregiver

Question 9

What causes an insecure-resistant attachment?

Answer 9

An inconsistent primary caregiver

Question 10

What are characteristics of securely attached babies?

Answer 10

High exploration behaviour, some separation anxiety but easy to soothe, moderate stranger anxiety and enthusiastic reunion behaviour

Question 11

What are characteristics of insecure-avoidant attached babies?

Answer 11

High exploration behaviour, low separation anxiety, low stranger anxiety and avoids contact on reunion

Question 12

What are characteristics of insecure-resistant attached babies?

Answer 12

Low exploration behaviour, high separation anxiety, high stranger anxiety and seeks and rejects on reunion

Question 13

What are two strengths of Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 13

Good inter-rate reliability and good predicative validity

Question 14

How does Ainsworth have good inter-rater reliability?

Answer 14

Research ester the agreement between different observers and found agreement on attachment type in 94% of cases, likely as observations taken place in controlled conditions using clearly operationalised behavioural categories so can be sure attachment types are not dependant on who observes

Question 15

How does Ainsworth have good predicative validity?

Answer 15

Lots of research shows type B infants have better outcomes in life including better relationships, better cognitive development and better mental health with type C tend to be worse off. This shows that correctly predicting is a valid tool and can be useful for identifying and dealing with problem behaviour

Question 16

What is a limitation of Ainsworth’s study?

Answer 16

It is not a valid measure of attachment in different cultures

Question 17

Why is Ainsworth’s study not a valid measure of attachment in different cultures?

Answer 17

In Japan, there were high levels of insecure-resistant attachment and very low levels of insecure-avoidant so this experiment may not be measuring the same thing in different cultures - ethnocentric tool