Ainsworth's Strange Situation Flashcards
(17 cards)
The Strange Situation
Ainsworth’s strange situation is an observational method for testing the strength of attachment between a caregiver and an infant devised by Ainsworth et al. (1971). A sample of 106 Infants aged between 9-18 months were placed in a novel situation of mild stress, namely an unfamiliar room whereby they are left alone, left with a stranger and reunited with their caregiver. Ainsworth observed how the infants behaved through a one-way mirror during a set of 8 different scenarios, each lasting approximately 3 minutes.
Observations of the following behaviours were recorded (4 behavioural categories):
- Exploration
- Separation anxiety
- Stranger anxiety
- Reunion behaviour
1) The mother and infant enter the room. The mother sits on one of the chairs and reads a magazine. The child is placed on the floor and is free to explore the toys.
Exploration
2) A stranger enters and sits on the second chair and talks briefly with the mother.
Stranger anxiety
3) The stranger approaches the infant and attempts to interact and play with them.
Stranger anxiety
4) The mother leaves the room so that the infant is alone with the stranger. The stranger comforts the baby if they are upset and offers to play with them.
Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety
5) The mother returns and the stranger leaves.
Reunion behaviour
6) The mother departs again leaving the baby briefly alone in the room.
Separation anxiety
7) The stranger re-enters and offers to comfort and play with the baby.
Stranger anxiety
8) The mother returns and the stranger leaves.
Reunion behaviour
Secure (66%) - Type B
Exploration
- the infant explores the unfamiliar environment, returning to the mother at regular intervals and using her as a safe-base.
Separation anxiety
- moderate separation anxiety: the infant’s play is seriously disrupted when the mother leaves.
Stranger anxiety
- moderate stranger anxiety: the infant is wary of strangers and will move closer to the mother when she is present with the stranger.
Reunion behaviour
- the infant shows joy upon reunion to their mother, seeks proximity and is easily comforted by her presence.
Insecure-Avoidant (22%) - Type A
Exploration
- the infant explores the unfamiliar environment but does not return to the mother and does not use her as a safe base.
Separation anxiety
- low separation anxiety: the infant is not concerned by the mother’s departure.
Stranger anxiety
- low stranger anxiety: the infant is not concerned about the stranger and shows little preference between the mother and the stranger.
Reunion behaviour
- the infant show little reaction upon the mother’s return and often ignores her. The child does not seek proximity and is not easily comforted by her presence.
Insecure-Resistant (12%) - Type C
Exploration
- the infant does not explore the unfamiliar environment, choosing to stay close to the mother.
Separation anxiety
- high separation anxiety: the infant becomes extremely distressed and violent when the mother leaves.
Stranger anxiety
- high stranger anxiety: the infant becomes extremely distressed when the stranger goes to comfort them.
Reunion behaviour
- the infant is not easily comforted by the mother - seeks but rejects/resists attempts of mother’s comfort upon reunion.
Strength
Point: A key strength of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation is the high degree of methodological control.
Evidence: The procedure was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, with the use of video recordings, allowing for clear and objective methods. Ainsworth also employed a set of standardised and predetermined behavioural categories to assess specific attachment behaviours, e.g., exploration of the environment. Furthermore, Ainsworth had several observers that observed the same infant’s behaviour, allowing agreement on attachment classifications to be ensured. She found 94% agreement between observers and when inter-observer reliability is assumed to a high degree, the findings are considered more meaningful.
Justification: The use of a structured observational method combined with high inter-rater reliability reduces the likelihood of subjective interpretation and observer bias. This consistency across observers ensures that attachment classifications are accurate and not dependent on individual judgement.
Implication: As a result, this enhances the reliability of the findings making the Strange Situation a sound tool for assessing attachment types and making it a replicable method for future research into early social development.
Counterargument: On the other hand, Ainsworth’s study has been criticised for displaying some methodological problems, particularly due to the overt nature of the observation.
Evidence: Since the parents were aware that they were being observed through a one-way mirror, this may have influenced the way in which they behaved. It is possible that they may have deviated from their normal behaviour towards their child as they believed that this is what the experiment demanded of them, e.g., acting overly attentive or affectionate.
Justification: This behavioural change could have unintentionally influenced the child’s reaction, causing them to behave in an unnatural way; this is likely due to demand characteristics, where the parent’s awareness of being observed led them to alter their behaviour in line with perceived expectations, which in turn may have shaped the infant’s responses during the observation.
Implication: This reduces the internal validity of the study, as it raises concerns that the observed attachment behaviours may not be authentic, thereby challenging how accurately the Strange Situation captures real-life caregiver-infant interactions.
Strength
Point: A strength of the Strange Situation is that it demonstrates predictive validity through the long-term outcomes associated with early attachment types.
Evidence: Research by McCarthy supports this claim. In a study of 40 adult women, who were assessed using the Strange Situations as infants, it was found that those who had been securely attached in infancy went on to form the most enduring and emotionally stable friendships and romantic relationships in adulthood.
Justification: This suggests that the attachment classifications identified by the Strange Situation are meaningful and accurate predictors of later development, especially in the context of interpersonal functioning. It highlights the idea that early attachment experiences can form the foundation of a child’s internal working model, shaping future relationship patterns.
Implication: As a result, this predictive validity of the Strange Situation reinforces its credibility, as it demonstrates that early attachment classifications can reliably predict later social and emotional outcomes. The use of the Strange Situation in accurately measuring the real-world consequences that early attachment experiences have, support its value as a robust psychological assessment tool.
Weakness
Point: Ainsworth’s Strange Situation has been criticised for the artificial nature of the experiment.
Evidence: The study was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment that was unfamiliar to both the infants and the caregivers. This setting does not reflect the natural environments where attachment behaviours typically occur, such as at home.
Justification: As a result, the infants’ behaviour may have been influenced by the novelty of the situation rather than a genuine response to separation or reunion with their caregiver. The unfamiliar surroundings could have caused an increased level of stress or anxiety amongst the infants, leading to behaviours that might not accurately reflect their true attachment style.
Implication: This limits the ecological validity of the findings, as it raises concerts over whether the observed behaviours can be generalised to everyday settings where attachment relationships naturally develop. Therefore, while the study offers insight into attachment classifications, its artificial context may restrict its real-world applicability.
Counterargument: Despite concerns about ecological validity, the Strange Situation remains a valuable and credible method for assessing attachment.
Evidence: The study’s controlled environment allowed Ainsworth to maintain consistency across all observations, ensuring that each infant was exposed to the same series of episodes and conditions. This level of control is crucial for identifying specific attachment behaviours under standardised, stress-inducing situations like separation and reunion.
Justification: While the setting itself may be artificial, the scenarios within the Strange Situation are designed to mimic real-life experiences - such as a caregiver leaving the room briefly or a stranger approaching the child. These are situations that children commonly encounter, even outside of a laboratory environment.
Implication: Therefore, the Strange Situation still provides meaningful insights into attachment behaviour through its controlled design, enhancing the study’s internal validity and practical utility, even if ecological validity is somewhat limited.
Weakness
Point: A significant limitation of Ainsworth’s classification system is that it may be incomplete and fails to capture the full range of attachment behaviours.
Evidence: Main and Solomon re-analysed several hundred Strange Situation episodes via videotape and identified a 4th attachment category - Type D: insecure-disorganised - which was not accounted for in Ainsworth’s original classification. These infants exhibited contradictory and inconsistent behaviours, such as approaching their caregiver but then freezing or avoiding them. Further evidence comes from a meta-analysis by Van Ijzendoorn et al., who found that approximately 15% of infants in the US could be classified as Type D.
Justification: This suggests that a notable proportion of attachment behaviours was not identified by Ainsworth, limiting the explanatory scope of the original classification. If a considerable number of infants do not fit neatly into Types A, B, or C, then this calls into question the inclusiveness and accuracy of the Strange Situation’s assessment framework.
Implication: Consequently, Ainsworth’s study may only offer a partial understanding of attachment pattern, highlighting the need for a more nuanced model that captures the full spectrum of infant attachment behaviours.
