1. The Strange Situation Ainsworth

2. Ainsworth
Mary Ainsworth was interested in exploring the differences in the attachments of infants.
She developed a structured observation known as the “strange situation” to investigate them.

3. The Strange Situation
This is a technique that places the infant in different situations in order to research the quality of attachment to the caregiver.
The procedure (a series of 8 episodes, mainly lasting 3 mins each) provided Ainsworth with a means of looking at:
Stranger anxiety
Separation anxiety
Reunion Behaviour.
The first episode only 30 seconds though!

4. Video http://www.resourcd.com/@psychexchange/ video/show/1219
Task – watch video and make notes of the stages

6. What were the assessing?
There was 5 things they examined:
Proximity Seeking – An infant with good attachment will stay close to the caregiver
Exploration and Secure Base Behaviour – Good attachment enables a child to feel confident to explore.
Stranger Anxiety – a sign of attachment is to show anxiety when a stranger approaches
Separation Anxiety – a sign of attachment is to protest at separation from caregiver
Response to Reunion – how the child reacts upon being reunited with caregiver.

7. Findings
Children explored the room more enthusiastically with mother present than absent. Reunions with the mother indicates 3 types of attachment: Type A – Insecure-Avoidant Type B – Securely Attached Type C – Insecure-Resistant

8. Summary of Attachment Types

9. Attachment Types Secure Insecure- resistant Insecure- avoidant
‘I trust you’
‘I don’t trust you’
‘I don’t care!’

10.
Insecure-Avoidant
15% of infants
These infants ignored their mothers and her presence/absence didn’t affect their play. They did not return to her at any intervals.
Infants displayed little stress when she left and ignored her when she returned.
Infants reacted to the stranger and mother in a similar way – with little stranger anxiety shown.

11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU 3 mins
Securely Attached
70% of infants
These infants played contently with their mother present (it didn’t matter if the stranger was present). They would return to her periodically during their play.
During the reunions, they sought comfort from her and then continued to play.
Mother and strange were treated differently with moderate separation distress and stranger anixety.
Video describes procedure and demonstrates a securely attached child.

12.
Insecure-Resistant
15% of infants
15% of infants were fussy and wary even with the mother present.
They explored less and stayed by their mother. They showed huge stranger distress and separation anxiety.
They were distressed by her leaving and sought contact on her return but simultaneously would show anger and fight her contact.
E.G would put their arms out to be picked up and then fight to be put down again
Video shows secure and resistant child

13. What causes differences in attachment?
Ainsworth argues that the differences are caused by the sensitivity of the mother to the infants needs.
E.g. mothers who read their infants well produce securely attached infants.

14. Harry Potter & Attachment
All three of the main characters each display one of the types of attachment
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley
Hermione Grainger
With a partner discuss which of the attachment styles they would be and why.
Read the article that explains which ones they are
Insecure-Avoidant
Securely Attached
Insecure-Resistant

15. Story board

16. Evaluation

17. Issues
Efficient: could measure a lot of behaviours quite quickly and easily bring in lots of participants
Easy to replicate: method has been employed in studies the world over – especially in cross-cultural research
Generalisations: it would be unreasonable to generalise about all infant behaviour as the findings of this study are restricted to it’s sample type (middle-class Americans)
Ethics: consider distress, infants found most of the situations distressing. What about informed consent? Prior to each study, was the mother informed of the potential distress that their baby might experience?

18. Evaluation Main & Solomon (1990); Solomon & George (1999)
Introduced a new attachment style – insecure/disorganised
This can involve a bizarre set of behaviours on reuniting, including freezing, rocking and a dazed look
This is the most disturbing of the styles, and may be an indicator of abuse

19. TASK
Using page 85 make notes on the evaluation of the strange situation.
You could write the strengths in one colour and the weaknesses in another.

20. Strengths and Weaknesses
Demand characteristics from mum
Individual differences?
Unethical
Artificial
Does not take into account the child’s past experiences
Only used middle class children
Do children have siblings?
Ethnocentric
Strengths
No demand characteristics from baby
Well structured
Reliable
Replicable
True to life
This is the slide that they came up with last week.

21. Applied Exam Question
James is a one year old whose parents (Ruth and David) have decided to send James to a childminder. The first time James meets the childminder Ruth introduces them and stays with them while they play. James does play but keeps checking his mother is still present. When his mother leaves the room, James is upset and accepts her comfort when she returns. Ruth is a psychologist and concludes from this that James must be securely attached.
Based on your understanding of attachment types explain what Ruth means by a secure attachment and why she judged James to be securely attached (4 marks).

22. Exam questions
Describe how Ainsworth’s studies types of attachment (6 marks)
Outline what is meant by a secure attachment/insecure-avoidant/insecure resistant attachment (3 marks)
Explain the difference between an insecure and a secure attachment (3 marks)
Describe and evaluate the strange situation (12 marks)