Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’. Types of attachment: secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant. Cultural variations in attachment, including van Ijzendoorn.

Question 1

Who designed the strange situation?

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth

Question 2

How did Ainsworth have an influence on Bowlby’s view on attachment?

Answer 2

1. provided him with the concept of the attachment figure as a secure base from which an infant can explore the world
2. pointed to the importance of maternal sensitivity in the development of mother-infant attachment patterns

Question 3

What is the main difference between Ainsworth and Bowlby’s approach to attachment?

Answer 3

Bowlby focused on universality of attachments, whereas Ainsworth was particularly interested in individual differences - i.e. the different attachment types that infants formed with their caregivers

Question 4

What did the Strange Situation aim to do?

Answer 4

to systematically test the nature of attachment, by seeing how infants (9-18 months) behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty

Question 5

How is the observation conducted (of the SS)?

Answer 5

with video cameras to record behaviour

Question 6

What is in the laboratory of the SS?

Answer 6

two chairs, a low table and a set of toys

Question 7

When was the SS devised?

Answer 7

1971, 1978

Question 8

What type of observation was the SS?

Answer 8

controlled observation

Question 9

How many episodes did the SS consist of?

Answer 9

8

Question 10

What 4 things did the episodes allow the researcher to observe?

Answer 10

1. separation from the caregiver (separation anxiety)
2. reunion with the caregiver (reunion behaviour)
3. response to a stranger (stranger anxiety)
4. the novel environment, which aims to encourage exploration and thus tests the secure base concept

Question 11

What did separation from the caregiver aim to assess?

Answer 11

separation anxiety

Question 12

What did reunion with the caregiver aim to assess?

Answer 12

reunion behaviour

Question 13

What did response to a stranger aim to assess?

Answer 13

stranger anxiety

Question 14

What did the novel environment aim to encourage and test for?

Answer 14

exploration and thus tests the secure base concept

Question 15

How was data from the SS observation typically collected?

Answer 15

1. using video recorder

2. one-way mirror

Question 16

How may the researcher observe the infant?

Answer 16

1. record what the infant is doing every 15 seconds, using the following behavioural categories;
   - proximity and contact-seeking behaviours
   - contact-maintaining behaviour
   - proximity and interaction-avoiding behaviours
   - contact and interaction-resisting behaviours
   - search behaviours
2. each category is then scored for intensity on a scale of 1 to 7

Question 17

Give 5 examples of behavioural categories that can be used during the observation of the SS

Answer 17

• proximity and contact-seeking behaviours
• contact-maintaining behaviour
• proximity and interaction-avoiding behaviours
• contact and interaction-resisting behaviours
• search behaviours

Question 18

Outline the procedure of the SS

Answer 18

1. The caregiver enters a room, places the child on the floor and sits on a chair. The caregiver does not interact with the child unless the infant seeks attention.
2. A stranger enters the room, talks to the caregiver and then approaches the child with a toy.
3. The caregiver exits the room. If the infant plays the stranger observes without interruption. If the child is passive, the stranger attempts to interest them in the toy. If they show distress the stranger attempts to comfort them.
4. The caregiver returns while the stranger then leaves.
5. Once the infant begins to play again, the caregiver may leave the room, leaving the child alone briefly.
6. The stranger enters the room again and repeats behaviour mentioned in step 3 (observing, engaging, comforting as needed)
7. The stranger leaves and the caregiver returns.

Question 19

Using the SS, what 3 attachment types was Ainsworth able to devise?

Answer 19

1. secure attachment
2. insecure-avoidant
3. insecure-resistant

Question 20

Outline the secure attachment category

Answer 20

Securely attached children comprised the majority of the sample in Ainsworth’s (1971, 1978) studies.

Such children feel confident that the attachment figure will be available to meet their needs. They use the attachment figure as a safe base to explore the environment and seek the attachment figure in times of distress.

Securely attached infants are easily soothed by the attachment figure when upset. Infants develop a secure attachment when the caregiver is sensitive to their signals, and responds appropriately to their needs.

Question 21

How % of children had a secure attachment in the SS

Answer 21

66%

Question 22

Outline the insecure-avoidant category

Answer 22

Insecure avoidant children do not orientate to their attachment figure while investigating the environment.

They are very independent of the attachment figure both physically and emotionally.

They do not seek contact with the attachment figure when distressed. Such children are likely to have a caregiver who is insensitive and rejecting of their needs.

The attachment figure may withdraw from helping during difficult tasks and is often unavailable during times of emotional distress.

Question 23

How % of children had a insecure-avoidant attachment in the SS

Answer 23

22%

Question 24

Outline the insecure-resistant category

Answer 24

Here children adopt an ambivalent behavioral style towards the attachment figure. The child will commonly exhibit clingy and dependent behavior, but will be rejecting of the attachment figure when they engage in interaction.

The child fails to develop any feelings of security from the attachment figure. Accordingly, they exhibit difficulty moving away from the attachment figure to explore novel surroundings.

When distressed they are difficult to soothe and are not comforted by interaction with the attachment figure. This behavior results from an inconsistent level of response to their needs from the primary caregiver.

Question 25

How % of children had a insecure-resistant attachment in the SS

Answer 25

12%

Question 26

What is secure attachment? (3)

Answer 26

This is a strong and contented attachment of an infant to his/her caregiver, which develops as a result of sensitive responding by the caregiver to the infant’s needs.

Securely attached infants are comfortable with social interaction and intimacy. Secure attachment is related to healthy subsequent cognitive and emotional development

Question 27

What is insecure-avoidant attachment?

Answer 27

a type of attachment which describes those children who tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy from others

Question 28

What is insecure-resistant

Answer 28

a type of attachment which describes those children who both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction

Question 29

What was the sample for the SS?

Answer 29

100 middle-class American families