Ainsworth's Strange Situation Flashcards
(13 cards)
Ainsworth experiment aims
to see how infants aged between 9-10 months act under mild stress/ novelty and assess the quality of attachment in control. obs.
proximity seeking
child with a good attachment will stay close to caregiver
secure base behaviour
point of contact that makes child feel safe
stranger anxiety
anxiety when stranger approaches
separation anxiety
protest when caregiver leaves
response to reunion
how child responds to caregiver’s return
insecure avoidant (Type A)
The child shows little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoids contact on return. They show low stranger anxiety and do not seek comfort.
secure (Type B)
The child is distressed when the caregiver leaves but is easily comforted on return. They use the caregiver as a safe base and show moderate stranger anxiety.
insecure resistant (Type C)
The child is very distressed when the caregiver leaves and is not easily comforted on return. They show high stranger anxiety and may resist comfort by both seeking and rejecting it. Mothers are inconsistent with sensitive responsiveness
strength- reliable
high inter-rater reliability - Johanna found 94% agreement on attachment types between observers due to the controlled conditions and clear behavioural categories. This suggests that attachment classification is consistent and not based on subjective judgement.
weakness- culture bias
it was developed in America, meaning the behaviour categories reflect American cultural values = findings may not be applicable to all cultures, reducing the validity and generalisability of the conclusions across different cultural contexts.
weakness- ethical issues
puts children under mild stress, such as separation from their caregiver and the presence of a stranger. While intended to observe attachment behaviour, this stress can be harmful to the child’s wellbeing, raising ethical concerns about protection from psychological harm.
strength- practical applications
Strange Situation helps identify insecure attachments- enables early interventions like parenting support and therapy. This improves emotional and social development- useful in childcare, adoption, and education.
