1. The ‘Strange Situation’ L.O. To understand what the strange situation is

2. Attachment is not an ‘all or nothing’ process There may be variations, or individual differences between children in the attachments they form There are different types of attachment: Secure vs. Insecure Attachment: Individual Differences

3. Who is Mary Ainsworth? Use the hand-out to write a brief description of who Ainsworth is and what she has done.

4. The Strange Situation

5. Controlled observation of children’s attachment behaviour using the ‘Strange Situation Classification’ (SSC): – Mother leaves child in unfamiliar environment – Child is approached by stranger – Mother returns – Looks at separation protest, stranger anxiety and reunion behaviour Ainsworth & Bell (1970)

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNr HUHU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNr HUHU

8. A cartoon strip Draw a cartoon strip as a way of illustrating what happened in the strange situation.

9. Three patterns of attachment: – Secure (70% of sample) – Insecure – avoidant (15%) – Insecure – resistant (15%) Ainsworth suggested that attachment type was determined by primary carer’s (mother’s) behaviour and how sensitive the carer is to the child’s needs Ainsworth & Bell (1971)

10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH1m_Z MO7GU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH1m_Z MO7GU

11. – Upset when mother left – Happy when she returned – Avoidant of stranger when alone but friendly when mother present – Will use the mother as a safe base to explore their environment Associated with sensitive & responsive primary care Secure Attachment

12. – Unconcerned by mother’s absence – Showed little interest when she returned – Strongly avoidant of mother and stranger – Stranger will be treated similar to the mother (does not seek contact). Associated with unresponsive primary care. The child comes to believe that communication of needs has no influence on the mother. Insecure Avoidant

13. – Intensely distressed when mother left – Apparent fear of stranger – Clinginess mixed with rejection on return – Fear of exploration (insecure behavior) Associated with inconsistent primary care. Sometimes the child’s needs and met and sometime they are ignored. Insecure Resistant

14. SecureAvoidantResistant Primary Carer’s Behaviour Towards Child Child’s ‘Working Model’ of Itself Positive & LovedUnloved & Rejected Angry & Confused

15. Evaluation of the strange situation Use the cards as cues to evaluate the strange situation.

16. What happens next? The mother of a securely attached child leaves the room. The mother of a child with an insecure-avoidant attachment type leaves the room. The mother of a child with an insecure- resistant attachment type re-enters the room. The mother of a securely attached child attempts to soothe their distressed child. A stranger attempts to comfort a distressed child with an insecure-avoidant attachment type.