Types of attatchment

Question 1

What was the aim of Ainsworth’s study?

Answer 1

Strange situation

Investigate key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality of a child’s attachment to a caregiver

Question 2

What was the method of Ainsworth’s study?

Answer 2

Sample consisted of 100 middle class American infants. Using a controlled observation procedure ( room with a two way mirror) psychologists observed the infant’s behaviour.

Behavioural categories used to judge the type of caregiver-infant attachment included:
* Safe base behaviour – How physically close the infant stays to their caregiver / how much they independently explore
* Separation behaviour – How the infant responds to their caregiver leaving the room.
* Stranger anxiety – How the infant responds to the presence of a stranger in the room.
* Reunion behaviour – How the infant responds to their caregiver returning to the room.

Procedure had 8 stages lasting 3 minutes. They involved the infant being alone with the mother, the infant with the mother and a stranger, the infant alone with the stranger, or the infant by themselves.

Question 3

What were the results of Ainsworth’s study

Answer 3

Type B (securely attached) 66%
Type A (insecure avoidant) 22%
Type C (resistant insecure) 12%

Question 4

What was the conclusion of Ainsworth’s study?

Answer 4

There is a clear association between the mothers’ behaviour and the infants’ attachment type, which has been termed the ‘Caregiver sensitivity hypothesis’:

Question 5

What safe base behaviour is demonstrated by Securely attached (B) infant’s

Answer 5

stay fairly close to their
caregiver and will use their caregiver as a safe base whilst
exploring, returning
regularly.

Question 6

What safe base behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure avoidant (A) infant’s

Answer 6

will move relatively far away
from their caregiver and will be very willing to explore the room/investigate the toys
independently

Question 7

What safe base behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure resistant (C) infant’s

Answer 7

will stay very close and in physical contact with their
caregiver and will not be willing to explore the room and will cling to their caregiver instead.

Question 8

What Stranger anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Securely attached (B) infant’s

Answer 8

will be wary of the stranger and
move closer to their caregiver.

Moderate stranger anxiety.

Question 9

What Stranger anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure avoidant (A) infant’s

Answer 9

They will have very low stranger
anxiety

Question 10

What Stranger anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure resistant (C) infant’s

Answer 10

They will have very high/extreme
stranger anxiety

Question 11

What Separation anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Securely attached (B) infant’s

Answer 11

They will be subdued when their
caregiver leaves the room, showing some distress.

Question 12

What Separation anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure avoidant (A) infant’s

Answer 12

They will be unconcerned when
the caregiver leaves the room.

Question 13

What Separation anxiety behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure resistant (C) infant’s

Answer 13

They will be extremely distressed when their caregiver
leaves the room.

Question 14

What Reunion behaviour behaviour is demonstrated by Securely attached (B) infant’s

Answer 14

They will be easily comforted by their caregiver when distressed

Question 15

What Reunion behaviour behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure avoidant (A) infant’s

Answer 15

They avoid contact with the caregiver on their return,
ignoring them and not seeking any comfort.

Question 16

What Reunion behaviour behaviour is demonstrated by Insecure resistant (C) infant’s

Answer 16

They will seek physical contact
with their caregiver on their return yet will reject all attempts to be comforted by them

Question 17

What is the caregiver behaviour of a securely attached infant

Answer 17

Sensitive, emotionally responsive, supportive

Question 18

What is the caregiver behaviour of an Insecure Avoidant infant

Answer 18

Rejecting – often does not respond adequately to the child’s needs.

Question 19

What is the caregiver behaviour of an Insecure Resistant infant

Answer 19

Inconsistent – sometimes responds to the child’s needs

Question 20

What is the caregiver sensitivity hypothesis

Answer 20

maintains that a child’s attachment style is dependent on the behaviour their mother shows towards them.

• ‘Sensitive’ mothers are responsive to the child’s needs and respond correctly they are more likely to have securely attached children.

In contrast, mothers who are less sensitive and respond to the child’s needs incorrectly or who are impatient are likely to have insecurely attached children

Question 21

What are strengths of Ainsworth’s Strange situation into types of attachment

Answer 21

High predictive validity
High reliability

Question 22

What are limitations of Ainsworth’s Strange situation into types of attachment

Answer 22

Focus’ on the mother
Cultural bias

Question 23

Evaluate high predictive value as a strength of Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 23

P: Its outcome predicts several aspects of the baby’s later life.

E: A large body of research has shown that babies and toddlers assessed as Type B (secure) tend to have better outcomes than others, both in later childhood and in adulthood. In childhood, this includes better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying. Securely attached babies also go on to have better mental health in adulthood. Those babies assessed as having type B or C tend to have the worst outcomes.

E: Srength because it suggests that the Strange Situation has good predictive validity and measures something real and meaningful in a baby’s development.

Question 24

Evaluate high reliability as a strength of Ainsworth’s strange situation

Answer 24

P: Reliable research technique.

E: Bick et al (2012) found it is a reliable research technique with up to 94% inter-rater reliability; virtually all observers were observing the same way.

E: This is a strength because we can be confident that the attachment type of an infant identified in the Strange Situation does not depend on who is observing the child, and therefore the findings can be deemed reliable.

Question 25

Evaluate focus on the mother as a limitation of Ainsworth's strange situation

Answer 25

P: Focussed on the behaviour of an infant when it is with its mother. E: Research has shown that children behave differently depending on which parent they are with. E: This means the Strange Situation may not be a valid measure of attachment type as what it measures is the infant’s relationship with one individual rather than a personal characteristic of the infant who may, for example, be securely attached to someone else – such as the father.

Question 26

Evaluate culture bias as a limitation of Ainsworth's strange situation

Answer 26

P: May be culturally biased as it was developed in America. E: Cultural differences in children’s experiences may mean they respond differently in the Strange Situation and caregivers may have different beliefs about raising children and so also behave differently. Takahashi (1990) found that Japanese babies were extremely distressed when their mothers left the room – but this is hardly surprising as they are traditionally very rarely eparated from their mothers (thus displaying insecure-resistant attachment type when they are securely attached). Children in Germany, meanwhile, are encouraged to be independent and may appear to show insecure avoidant attachment when they are securely attached. E: This is a limitation of the use of Strange Situation to assess attachment type as it suggests that it may not be valid to use it in cultures other than that of America.