1. S TRANGE S ITUATION - M ARY A INSWORTH Colton and Courtney

2. W HO WAS INVOLVED ? Mary Ainsworth Sylvia Bell Infants ranging in age from 12-18 months Mothers of infants

3. P URPOSE OF THE S TUDY ? To investigate the attachment of young children with their mothers How attachments vary between infants and mothers Study different types of attachment See if infant would “explore” their surrounding and seek security

4. P ROCEDURE (1) Leave mother and infant alone. (2) A stranger joins mother and infant. (3) Mother leaves infant and stranger alone. (4) Mother returns and stranger leaves. (5) Mother leaves and infant is left completely alone. (6) The stranger returns. (7) Mother returns and the stranger leaves.

5. W HAT WERE THEY LOOKING FOR ? 1- Separation Anxiety in the infant 2- Will the infant explore the room? 3- Stranger Anxiety 4- Reunion Behavior

6. C LASSIFICATIONS - TYPES OF ATTACHMENT Secure Attachment Resistant/ Ambivalent Attachment Avoidant Attachment Separation AnxietyDistressed when mother leaves. Infant shows signs of intense distress when mother leaves. Infant shows no sign of distress when mother leaves. Stanger AnxietyAvoidant of stranger when alone but friendly when mother present. Infant avoids the stranger - shows fear of stranger. Infant is okay with the stranger and plays normally when stranger is present. Reunion BehaviorPositive and happy when mother returns. Child approaches mother but resists contact, may even push her away. Infant shows little interest when mother returns. OtherMother is used as a safe base to explore their environment. Infant cries more and explores less Mother and stranger are able to comfort infant equally well. % of infants7015

7. R ESULTS - W HAT WAS DISCOVERED ? Behavior was determined by the mother (primary care giver) Infants who were “”securely attached” received immediate care from mothers. Infants who were classified as “Insecure Resistant” attached did not always receive immediate care from their mothers Infants who were classified as “Insecure Avoidant” rarely got a response from their mothers when they were in need

8. R ESULTS C ONTINUED Provided empirical evidence of Bowlby’s Attachment theory Securely Attached Children  positive view on themselves Avoidant Children  undeserving Resistant Children  negative self image

9. H OW DID IT CHANGE PSYCHOLOGY ? Became the accepted procedure to determine type of attachment to the mother Unethical Biased

10. Example of secure attachment

11. R EFERENCES http://www.simplypsychology.org/mary- ainsworth.html http://psychology.about.com/od/loveandattraction/ ss/attachmentstyle_2.htm http://www.enotes.com/gale-psychology- encyclopedia/strange-situation http://www.parentingscience.com/strange- situation.html