Lesson 4- Types Of Attachment Flashcards
What is the strange situation?
It is a methodology uses by AINSWORTH to investigate differences in attachment between INFANTS and their caregivers
What type of observation was the strange situation?
CONTROLLED observation
What did the investigators observe in a series of THREE minute episodes?
- the mother and baby
- stranger entering
- mother leaving
- mother returning
What factors did they use to measure the infants’ attachment?
- Proximity seeking
- Stranger anxiety
- Separation protest
- Reunion joy
What percentage of infants were classes as INSECURE AVOIDANT?
20%
What behaviours were displayed by insecure avoidant babies?
- Largely ignoring their caregiver and exploring the room freely
- No signs of SEPARATION PROTEST
- continue to ignore their caregiver when they returned NO REUNION JOY
- the baby is distressed when left COMPLETELY ALONE, but is easily comforted by the stranger as they would be by their caregiver
What percentage of infants were classified as having SECURE ATTACHMENT?
70%
What were the behaviours displayed by an infant with SECURE ATTACHMENT?
- play happily while their caregiver is present, using them as a safe base to EXPLORE
-show signs of separation protest, even if not left COMPLETELY ALONE
- expresses some STRANGER ANXIETY but accepts some COMFORT from the stranger when the caregiver is not present
- expresses reunion joy when the caregiver returns
What percentage of infants have an INSECURE RESISTANT attachment style?
10%
What were some of the behaviours displayed by an INSECURE RESISTANT infant in the observation
- CLINGY they do not explore the room they are in
- EXTREME SEPARATION PROTEST
- EXTREME STRANGER ANXIETY
- resist comfort from the caregiver when they return
Give one positive evaluation of the strange situation
The strange situation has been REPLICATED many times
-it has high levels of control and STANDARDISED procedures
- it has been carried out in many cultures
State a NEGATIVE EVALUATION of the strange situation
(Hint: culturally biased)
- it was developed in the UNITED STATES
- attachment behaviour that is seen as healthy in the US may not be applicable to all cultures
EXAMPLE:
During the time of the observation very few GERMAN MOTHERS worked (1 in 5)
- German mother’s encouraged their children to be INDEPENDENT and SELF RELIANT
-Some German mother may view behaviours exhibited by a securely attached infant e.g crying when the caregiver leaves the room, as SPOILT and therefore do not reward this behaviour
- This is why German infants may have shown less anxiety when separated from their mothers and classed as AVOIDANT
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of the strange situation
(Hint: Gender bias)
-it has only ever been carried out using mothers as the CAREGIVER
- infants may be insecurely attached to their mothers and SECURELY attached to their fathers
- the strange situation is not a measurement of an infants overall attachment but their attachment to one individual
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of the strange situation
(Hint: low ecological validity)
- The Strange Situation may not reflect the infant’s real world behaviour + therefore lacks ecological validity.
Studies have found that babies’ attachment behaviours are MUCH STRONGER in LABORATORY settings than they are in their home environment
