Attachment L7

Question 1

What did the strange situation test (A01)?

Answer 1

The nature of attachment systematically, tests stranger anxiety and separation protest and how babies act in situations of stress.

Question 2

What was the procedure Ainsworth used (A01)?

Answer 2

A 9x9 foot square room designed to be able to study movements. He used 8 episodes each designed to highlight certain behaviours. The method used to test the types of attachments was a controlled observation.

Question 3

Give an example of 4 of the episodes (A01)?

Answer 3

1. Parent and infant plays
2. Stranger enters and speaks to parent
3. Parent leaves, infant plays, stranger stays and offers comfort if needed.
4. Parent returns, offers comfort if needed, stranger leaves.

Question 4

What behaviours were measured in term of intensity (AO1)?

Answer 4

1. Proximity and contact seeking behaviours
   2 Contact maintaining behaviours
2. Proximity and interaction-avoiding behaviours
3. Contact and interaction-avoiding behaviours
4. Search behaviours

Question 5

What did Ainsworth find (A01)?

Answer 5

He found 70% of babies were secure (type B) and they showed high willingness to explore and high stranger anxiety. He found 15% were insecure avoidant (type A) and showed high willingness to explore and low stranger anxiety. He found 15% were insecure resistant (type C) and showed low wildness to explore and high stranger anxiety.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of Secure (Type B) (A01)?

Answer 6

Have cooperative interactions with their caregiver. Are less likely to cry inconsolably if caregiver leaves room. Seek bodily contact when anxious.

Question 7

What are the characteristics of insecure avoidant (Type A) (A01?

Answer 7

Tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others, show little response to separation and do not seek proximity of caregiver on reunion. Happy to explore without caregiver. High levels of anxiousness and could become angry if needs not met.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of insecure resistant (Type C)?

Answer 8

Both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction, respond to separation from caregiver with instant distress.

Question 9

What is a negative of Ainsworth study (A03)?

Answer 9

Ethical issues. Caused harm to the babies. When tried in Japan had to stop early due to uncontrollable crying.

Question 10

What is a negative of Ainsworth study (A03)?

Answer 10

Lacks population validity - only done on white middle class mothers in America, may not be applicable to other cultures/people.

Question 11

What is a strength of Ainsworth study (A03)?

Answer 11

Its reliable. Ainsworth found almost perfect inter rater reliability, showing agreement amongst independent observes of what they saw.