Ainsworth's Strange Situation

Question 1

What was the aim?

Answer 1

A controlled observation designed to measure the security of attachment a child showed towards a caregiver

Question 2

What was the procedure?

Answer 2

It had 7 episodes that lasted 5 minutes:

1. The child is encouraged to explore (exploration and secure base)
2. Stranger enters and tries to interact with the child (stranger anxiety)
3. Caregiver leaves child and stranger together ( separation+stranger anxiety)
4. Caregiver returns and stranger leaves (reunion behaviour)
5. Caregiver leaves child alone (stranger anxiety)
6. Stranger returns ( stranger anxiety)
7. Caregiver returns and is reunited with the child (reunion behaviour)

Question 3

What are the findings?

Answer 3

Secure attachment - Type B (60-75%) - these kids explore happily but regularly return to their caregiver, show moderate stranger and separation distress, accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage

Insecure avoidant - Type A (20-25%) - these kids explore freely but don’t seek proximity, show little or no stranger anxiety or reaction when caregiver leaves, don’t make contact when they return.

Insecure resistant - Type C (3%) - three kids seek greater proximity than others and explore less, show huge stranger and separation distress, but they resist confort at reunion behaviour