Ainsworth et al (1971-1978)

Aim:

- The aim of Ainsworth's study was to see how infants (aged between 9 and 18 months) behaved under mild levels of stress and also novelty.

Procedure:

106 middle class American infants and their mothers

- The research room is a novel environment, sized 9X9 - meaning that the children are unfamiliar to the environment.

- The procedure consists of eight episodes, each designed to highlight certain behaviours. The key feature of these episodes is that the caregiver and the stranger alternatively stay with the infant or leave.

- This enables the observation of the infant's response to:

-  Separation from the caregiver (separation anxiety)

-  Reunion with caregiver (reunion behaviour)

- Response to a stranger (stranger anxiety) 

- The novel environment, which aims to encourage exploration (concept of the mother as a secure base)

- Episodes:

• 1: Parent and infant plays
• 2: Parent sits and infant plays (use of parent as a secure base)
• 3: Stranger enters and talks to parent (Stranger anxiety)
• 4: Parent leaves, infant plays, stranger…