1. Ainsworth strange situation

2. Exam question
Two mothers at the toddler and parent group are chatting. “I always felt sorry for my husband when Millie was a baby. He used to say his bond with Millie was not as strong as mine because I was breastfeeding.” “I’m not sure”, replies the other mother. “I think there’s something about a mother’s love that makes it more special anyway – and so important for future development.” Discuss the learning theory of attachment and Bowlby’s monotropic theory of attachment. Refer to the conversation above in your answer. [16 marks]

3. Homework
A: Test your knowledge of experimental research methods using the interactive quizzes in the digi-book (see pages ). Identify any areas that you need to revisit and complete a focussed revision activity on them. B: Complete the exam practice questions on pages 8-9 of this week's handout (Lesson 16: Interviews). C: In preparation for next week's session: 1. Find a definition of 'peer review' and add this to your glossary list; 2. Describe an example of fraudulent research in psychology (e.g. the research on IQ by Cyril Burt) and briefly explain how peer review can guard against such fraud.

4. Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation
Aim - To see how infants aged between 9-18 months behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty.
Procedure
9x9 foot space marked into 16 squares to help monitoring
It was a controlled observation in which the child and the mother were observed interacting in 8 different scenarios (episodes). Controlled observation set up in a laboratory using a two way mirror which Ainsworth used to make her observations.
Four main behaviours were observed:
Exploration behaviour (is the mother considered to be a secure base?)
Response to reunion
Separation anxiety
Stranger anxiety

5. Ainsworth strange situation
Cut out the stages of attachment. Using the strange situation video clip, try to re-order the events of the strange situation procedure. For each event, suggests what it is testing for. Note: Each stage might measure more than one

6. The Strange Situation – the methodology used:
Child and caregiver enter an unfamiliar room.
The infant is encouraged to play/explore.

7. 3. The stranger sits on one of the chairs and reads a magazine

8. 4. The stranger talks to the mother briefly and tries to interact with the infant (through talk and play)

9. My mummy’s gone! Who’s that stranger?
5. The caregiver leaves and the stranger interacts with the infant.. The stranger tries to comfort the baby if they get upset, and tries to play with them.
My mummy’s gone! Who’s that stranger?

10. 6. The caregiver returns and the stranger leaves.

11. 7. The caregiver leaves the child alone.

12. 8. Instead of the mother returning to the room, The stranger returns and tries to interact with the child.
My mummy’s gone! Here she comes Ahhhh! It’s not… oh no… where is my mummy?

13. 9. The caregiver returns and is reunited with the child
9. The caregiver returns and is reunited with the child. The stranger leaves

14. Page 43 Read through the findings of Ainsworth’s study.
Simplify the findings into either:
A mind-map
Pictures/symbols
Key words

15. 22% 12% 66% Findings: Percentage of infants in study
Type C: Insecure avoidant
Type A: Insecure ambivalent
Type B: Secure attachment

16. Secure attachment
This is a strong and contented attachment of an infant to his/her caregiver, which develops as a result of sensitive responding by the caregiver to the infant’s needs. Securely attached infants are comfortable with social interaction and intimacy. Secure attachment is related to subsequent healthy cognitive and emotional development.

17. Insecure attachment
This is a form of attachment between infant and caregiver that develops as a result of a caregiver’s lack of sensitive responding to the infant’s needs. It may be associated with poor subsequent cognitive and emotional development.
Insecure-avoidant- A type of attachment that describes children who tend to avoid social interaction and intimacy with others.
Insecure-resistant- A type of attachment that describes those infants that both seek and reject intimacy and social interaction.

18. Findings: Secure Insecure-avoidant Insecure-resistant
Secure
Insecure-avoidant
Insecure-resistant
Proximity-seeking
Stays close
none
Stays closest
Exploration
High
Low
secure base behaviour
low
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Very high
Response to caregivers affection on reunion
accepts
ignores
rejects

19. What type of attachment and why?
Ahmed is very clingy to his mother and won’t play with toys or explore the Centre. When his mother goes to the toilet and he is left with strangers in the room he gets extremely distressed, and can almost not breathe he is crying so much. When she returns he goes to her for a cuddle but hits her in the face at the same time and then will not leave her side for the rest of the time he is there.
Type:
Reasons:
Write your own scenario. Guess which type of attachment the child is showing

20. Research methods

21. Key question
How did Mary Ainsworth arrive at the precise procedure of the Strange Situation?

22. Pilot studies
Pilot studies are small scale versions of an investigation that are carried out before the real investigation is conducted. The purpose of them is to check that the procedure, materials and any other aspect of the study works; if anything does not work, this allows the researchers to change relevant aspects of the investigation before the full study is carried out.

23. If you were the observer…
How would you record the information that you observe? How would you make sure that the information you observe have inter-rater reliability? That is, if there is more than one observer, they agree on what they see.

24. Behaviour categories
Behavioural categories – when behaviour is broken down into components that are observable and measureable. If behavioural categories are used, inter-rater reliability should be high providing the categories used are good. Good behavioural categories are, clear, unambiguous, precise and are not an interpretation of behaviour but a description of behaviour. For instance smiling is a behaviour, being friendly is an interpretation of behaviour.

25. How should behavioural categories be developed?
Key question
How should behavioural categories be developed?
Initially the behaviour that is being observed should simply be watched
From here behavioural categories should be developed
Different observers should then discuss what the behavioural categories actually mean to ensure they are using them consistently and make any refinements necessary
Ideally the behavioural categories should be piloted to allow for further modification

26. Task:
Now develop behavioural categories for the infant only following the guidelines previously given.
Do you have exactly the same categories as your neighbour?
What should be do next to ensure reliability of the observation if all of you are observers?

27. Deciding on class categories
Possible categories include:
crying,
stop crying,
picks up toy, laughs,
walks/moves to mother,
walks/moves to stranger,
looks around room,
looks to the door,
walks to the door,
touches mother.
Do we all agree on what we are looking for?

28. Evaluation

29. Complete the following evaluation points for Ainsworth’s study
Evaluating Ainsworth
Complete the following evaluation points for Ainsworth’s study
1. There may have been an issue with demand characteristics in the study because……..
2. The study has inter-observer reliability because……….
3. The study is culturally bound because……..
4. The study depends on the care-giver used because………

30. Strange Situation Role Play
In your groups of 4 you are going to create a role-play representation of the ‘Strange Situation’ and demonstrate one attachment.
Your 1 minute representation:
Must: Follow the correct sequence of events used in the Strange Situation
Should: Contain all the behaviours observed in the Strange Situation (willingness to explore, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and reunion behaviour)
Could: Demonstrate the appropriate behaviours that would be seen for the attachment type given to you.
In your groups of 4, you will each be given a particular attachment type – Secure, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant to create a short role-play for.
Characters will include 1) Mother, 2) Infant, 2) Stranger and 4) Narrator.
You are all going to get a different attachment type to demonstrate!

31. Exam focus
CIRCLE THE COMMAND WORD
UNDERLINE THE KEY WORDS
BOX A SOURCE IF NEEDED
EXPLAIN – WORK OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING YOU TO DO
The Strange Situation can be used to identify a child’s attachment type.
Explain how the behaviour of a child showing insecure- avoidant attachment type would be different from the behaviour of a child showing insecure-resistant attachment type. (4 marks)

32. Peer Assess
Separation behaviour – insecure avoidant seem unconcerned when mother leaves, whereas insecure resistant show intense distress.
Reunion behaviour – insecure avoidant show little reaction when the mother comes back, whereas insecure resistant may cling to their mother, but show ambivalent behaviour towards her.
Other relevant differences are creditworthy. Students may explain one difference in detail, or more than one in less detail.
WWW - EBI - Mark out of 4 - Annotate using the marking guidelines in green!

33. Starter: answer the following questions
Briefly describe what the aim of the study was (what were they trying to find out? (2 marks)
What was the name of the procedure used and how long did it last for? (2 mark)
Who was the sample? ( 2marks)
Who were the different people involved in the 8 episodes? (1 mark)
List 3 behaviours used to judge attachment (3 marks)
3 types of attachment emerged, what were they? (3mark)
What attachment type did the majority of the children show (1 mark) 
What percentage of children showed the above attachment type (1 mark)