Strange Situation

Question 1

Why did Ainsworth develop the Strange Situation?

Answer 1

to observe key attachment behaviour to assess the quality of a child’s attachment behaviour to a caregiver

Question 2

What did the Strange Situation involve?

Answer 2

placing a child in a controlled environment where they would be observed under a series of different situations

Question 3

What was the purpose of the Strange Situation?

Answer 3

measure four key behaviours including: exploration behaviour, separation anxiety ,stranger anxiety,reunion behaviour

Question 4

Exploration Behaviour

Answer 4

how the child explores the environment and whether they use the mother as a safe base

Question 5

separation anxiety

Answer 5

how the child responds to/behaves when the mother leaves the room

Question 6

Stranger anxiety

Answer 6

how the child responds in the presence of a stranger

Question 7

Reunion Behaviour

Answer 7

how the child acts when reunited with their mother

Question 8

How did Ainsworth classify the children?

Answer 8

securely attached, insecure-avoidant attached or insecure-resistant attached

Question 9

How did securely attached children act?

Answer 9

the children exploring freely and show proximity seeking and secure base behaviour

Question 10

How did insecure-avoidant attach children act?

Answer 10

children exploring freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour

Question 11

How did insecure-resistant attach children act?

Answer 11

seeking greater proximity and explored less with huge separation and stranger distress

Question 12

What is secure attachment?

Answer 12

• children who explored happily but showed proximity seeking and secure base behaviour.
• They showed moderate separation distress and stranger anxiety but would accept comfort from their caregiver in the reunion stage

Question 13

Explain the difference between secure attachment and insecure attachment?

Answer 13

• Secure-attached children show proximity seeking and secure base behaviour whereas insecure-avoidant attached children do not show either.
• Insecure-avoidant attached children show no separation distress or stranger anxiety whereas secure-attached children show moderate separation and stranger distress.
• Insecure-resistant attachment resist comfort when reunited with their carer whereas secure attachment accept comfort in the reunion stage from their caregiver

Question 14

What is a limitation of the Strange situation?

Answer 14

the test may be cultural bound

Question 15

Why is the Strange situation cultural bound?

Answer 15

• cultural differences in childhood experiences are likely to mean that children respond differently to the Strange Situation
• caregivers from different cultures may behave different in the Strange Situation

Question 16

What did Takashi find?

Answer 16

this test does not work in Japan as mother in Japan are rarely separated from their babies which meant there were very high levels of separation anxiety

Question 17

Why are Takashi’s findings a weakness?

Answer 17

this test may indicate cultural bias and thus cannot be generalise globally.

Question 18

What is a strength of the Strange Situation?

Answer 18

there is very good inter-rater reliability

Question 19

Why does the Strange Situation have good inter-rater reliability?

Answer 19

the Strange Situation taking place under controlled conditions and the easy observable behaviour categories, different observers were able to watch the same children in the Strange Situation and mostly agree on what attachment types to classify them with

Question 20

What did Bick et al do and find?

Answer 20

looked at inter-rater reliability on the Strange Situation and found observers agreed on attachment type for 94% of infants

Question 21

Why are Bick’s findings a strength?

Answer 21

the Strange Situation is able to be replicated and other observers are able to identify the attachment types which means psychologists can be confident that it does not depend on who is observing them.