THE STRANGE SITUATION

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  • Created by: AnnabellP
  • Created on: 13-10-17 14:04

WHAT WAS THE STRANGE SITUATION?

  • AN EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED BY AINSWORTH AND BELL
  • IT AIMED TO SEE HOW CHILDREN WOULD BEHAVE TOWARDS CERTAIN STRANGERS UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MOTHER AND IF ATTACHMENT INFLUENCED IT
  • THEY BELIEVED YOU COULD MEASURE THE ATTACHMENT BY SEEING HOW THE CHILD WOULD REACT TO THE STRANGER
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THE SITUATION

  • THE EXERIMENT WAS A NATURAL OBSERVATION OF EVENTS. BEHAVIOURS WAS MEASURED INSIDE A ROOM

1) THE MOTHER & CHILDN ENTER AND PLAY IN THE ROOM

2) STRANGER ENTERS THE ROOM

3) MOTHER LEAVES THE ROOM

4) STRANGER ENCOURAGES CHILD TO PLAY

5) MOTHER ENTERS AND SETTLES THE DISCOMFORTED CHILD WHILE THE SRANGER LEAVES

6) THE MOTHER LEAVES AGAIN WHEN THE CHILD HAS SETTLED

7) THE STRANGER RETURNS TO THE ROOM AND APPROACHES CHILD

8) MOTHER RETURNS TO GET THE CHILD ONCE MORE

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FINDINGS

  • THE INFANTS REACTED TO THE DEPARTURE AND RETURN OF THE MOTHER IN DIFFERENT WAYS
  • THEY WERE LABELLED AS DIFERENT ATTACHMENT TYPES DEPENDING ON THEIR REACTION
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FINDINGS - DIFFERENT ATTACHMENT TYPES FOUND

TYPE A: INSECURE AVOIDANT - LITTLE EPLORATION, LITTLE DISTRESS IF SEPARATED, AVOIDS MOTHER ON RETURN, 25% OF CHILDREN

TYPE B: SECURE - EXPLORES ENVIRONMENT, SHOWS DISTRESS ON SEPARATION, GREETS MOTHER WARMLY, FRIENGLY WITH STRANGER, 60% OF CHILDREN

TYPE C: INSECURE RESISTANT - ANXIOUS WHEN EXPLORING, MUCH DISTRESS IF SEPARATED, UNSURE WHETHER TO APPROACH MOTHER ON RETURN, 15% OF CHILDREN

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EVALUATION - STRENGTHS

  • IT IS EASILY REPLICABLE AS IT FOLLOWS STANDARDISED PROCEDURE
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EVALUATION - WEAKNESSES

  • IT REQUIRES SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION. INTER-OBSERVER RELIABILITY WILL INFLUENCE DIFFERENT CHILDREN TO BE CLASSIFIED DIFFERENTLY
  • CHILDREN CAN CHANGE ATTACHMENT TYPE OVER TIME SO IT IS NOT SO RELIABLE
  • ONLY MEASURE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MOTHER. THE FATHER MAY HAVE BEEN THE PRIAMRY CAREGIVER
  • ONLY TESTED AMERICAN MOTHERS & CHILREN. DIFFICULT TO GENERALISE TO GLOBAL POPULATION
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