Strange Situation - Attachments Flashcards
(22 cards)
What was Ainsworth interested in?
The different types of attachments that infants formed with caregivers
How is the type of attachment tested?
The strange situation
Ainsworth and Bell (1970)
Devised strange situation to systematically test the nature of attachments and see how infants (9-18 months) behave under conditions of mild stress and novelty
How was stress created in the strange situation?
Created by the presence of a stranger and separation from a caregiver
What does the strange situation measure?
Type of attachment through Stranger and separation anxiety
What is the procedure of Ainsworth and Bell’s (1970) Strange situation?
9x9 foot square room and 7 episodes each designed to highlight certain behaviours. This was a controlled observation in a lab setting.
what are the 7 episodes in Ainsworths strange situation?
- Parent sits while infant plays
- stranger enters and talks to parent
- caregiver leaves, infant plays and stranger offers comfort
- caregiver returns, offers comfort + stranger leaves
- caregiver leaves infant alone
- stranger returns offers comfort
- caregiver returns, greets and offers comfort
What behaviour is assessed in the first episode of the Strange situation?
(Parent sits while infant plays) -> Use of parent as secure base
What behaviour is assessed in the second episode of the Strange situation?
(Stranger enters and talks to parent) -> Stranger anxiety
What behaviour is assessed in the third episode of the Strange situation?
(Parent leaves, stranger offers comfort) -> Separation anxiety
What behaviour is assessed in the fourth episode of the Strange situation?
(Parent returns and offers comfort, stranger leaves) -> Reunion behaviour
What behaviour is assessed in the fifth episode of the Strange situation?
(Parent leaves, infant is alone) -> separation anxiety
What behaviour is assessed in the sixth episode of the Strange situation?
(Stranger enters and offers comfort) -> Stranger anxiety
What behaviour is assessed in the seventh episode of the Strange situation?
(Parent returns, greets and offers comfort) -> reunion behaviour
How is data collected in the strange situation?
Observers record what the infant is doing every 15 seconds and scores the behaviour for intensity on a scale of 1-7
What do they score the behaviours (on intensity) for in the Strange situation?
- Proximity and contact-seeking
- Contact maintaining
- Proximity and interaction-avoiding
- Contact and interaction-resisting
- Search behaviours
What are the findings of Ainsworth et al (1978)?
Placed 106 middle class infants and mothers into categories of Secure (type b), Insecure-avoidant (type A) and insecure resistant (type c)
Secure (type B) findings in strange situation
Willingness to explore: High
Stranger anxiety: High
Separation anxiety: Easy to soothe
Behaviour at reunion: Enthusiastic
Percentage of infants: 66%
Insecure-Avoidant (type a) findings in strange situation
Willingness to explore: High
Stranger anxiety: Low
Separation anxiety: Indifferent
Behaviour at reunion: Avoids contact
Percentage of infants: 22%
Insecure-Resistant (type c) findings in strange situation
Willingness to explore: Low
Stranger anxiety: High
Separation anxiety: Distressed
Behaviour at reunion: Seeks and rejects
Percentage of infants: 12%
What were the similarities found in the ways infants behaved in the strange situation?
Exploratory behaviour declined in all infants from episode 2 onwards and crying increased
Proximity-seeking and contact-maintaining behaviours intensified during separation and when stranger appeared
Contact-resisting and proximity-avoiding behaviours occurred rarely towards caregiver prior to separation
What were the differences found in the ways infants behaved in the strange situation?
Three main types of children they called A B and C
