Attachment Styles (Ainsworth)

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Strange Situation study - Ainsworth et al. 1978 (OBSERVATION)

sample:

4 samples of infants

roughly 1 years old

procedure:

An infant placed in an unfamiliar environment with their mother, free to explore the environment.

A stranger enters the room and tries approaching the infant.

The mother leaves the room to leave the infant and the stranger alone together, returning some time later.

Ainsworth studied how at ease the babies felt with the stranger and the environment - by observing how they interacted with the stragner and explored their surroundings, and how they greeted the mother upon her return.

conclusions:

GROUP A: Insecure Avoidant Attachment (20-25% of infants)

- Infants that avoided interaction with the mother and showed no distress in her absence.

- They interacted similarly with their mother how they did with the stranger: showing signs of avoidance (turning away, avoiding eye contact...) when reunited with the mother.

- Ainsworth concluded that this behaviour was a defence mechanism against the mother's general rejective behaviour, e.g. being uncomfortable with physical contact or easily angered.

GROUP B: Secure Attachment (65-75% of infants)

- Infants that were securely in relationships with their mother, characterised by trust and an adaptive response to being abandoned.

- They actively saught proximity with their mother - especially once they were reunited. They may have shown interest with the stranger, but would inevitably show more closeness with their mum.

- Ainsworth concluded that as they showed less anxiety and more positive attitudes, the infants believed in their mothers' responsiveness towards their needs.

GROUP C: Insecure Resistant Attachment (3-5% of infants)

- Infants that were characterised as being somewhat resistant and ambivalent to their mother e.g. resisting interactions - especially during reunion.

- They also showed strong intentions to remain close contact, and showed extreme distress around the stranger.

- Ainsworth concluded that mothers lacked 'the fine sense of timing' in responding to infant needs.

EVALUATION:

strength - external reliability - Van Ijzendoorn's 1988 study found similar results across an overwhelming majority of cultures worldwide. Results were found to…

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