Ainsworth's strange situation

Question 1

What is Ainsworth’s strange situation?

Answer 1

• Observing infant’s response to a series of 3 minute episodes in a controlled observation room to assess their attachment type
• Examples of episodes: Mother and infant in a room (assess exploration behaviour and using mother as safe base), Stranger entering (measure stranger anxiety), Mother leaving (measure separation anxiety), and mother returning (measure reunion behaviour)
• Infants who happily explore and used their mother as a safe base, show moderate separation and stranger anxiety and joy upon reunion would be classified as securely attached
• Infants who show low willingness to explore, extreme stranger and separation anxiety, and resist their mother’s attempt to comfort them upon reunion would be classified as having insecure-resistant attachment
• Infants who happily explore while ignoring mother’s presence, do not show signs of stranger and separation anxiety, and ignore mother upon reunion would be classified as having an insecure-avoidant behaviour