Ainsworth’s Strange Situation: types of attachment
● Ainsworth et al. 1971
● Systematically test the nature of attachment
● Aim: to see how infants (aged between 9 and 18 months) behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty
● Procedure:
○ The research room is a novel environment - 9x9 foot space often marked off into 16 squares to help in
recording the infant’s movements
○ Consists of 8 episodes - each designed to highlight certain behaviours
○ Key features of these episodes are that the caregiver and stranger alternatively stay with the infant or
leave - enables observation of the infant’s response to:
■ Separation from the caregiver (separation anxiety)
■ Reunion with the caregiver (reunion behaviour)
■ Response to a stranger (stranger anxiety)
■ The novel environment, which aims to encourage exploration and thus tests the secure base
concept
○ Scoring:
■ Proximity and contact seeking
■ Contact maintaining
■ Avoidance of proximity and contact
■ Resistance to contact and comfort
Episodes – 3 minute duration Behaviour assessed
1. Parent and infant play /
2. Parent sits while infant plays Use of parent as secure base
3. Stranger enters and talks to parent stranger anxiety
4. Parent leaves, infant plays, stranger offers comfort if needed Separation anxiety
5. Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort if needed, Reunion behaviour
stranger leaves
6. Parents leaves, infant is alone Separation anxiety
7. Stranger enters and offers comfort Stranger anxiety
8. Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort Reunion behaviour
● Findings:
○ Total of 106 middle-class infants observed
○ Noted similarities and differences in the ways that infants behave
○ Exploratory behaviours declined in all infants from episode 2 onwards, whereas the amount of crying
increased
○ Found 3 main patterns of behaviours
■ Consistent clusters of behaviours which added up to 3 qualitatively different types of attachment
Secure – type B Insecure-avoidant – type A Insecure-resistant – type C
Willingness to explore High High Low
Stranger anxiety Moderate Low High
Separation anxiety Some easy to soothe Indifferent Distressed
Behaviour at reunion with Enthusiastic Avoids contact Seeks and rejects
● Ainsworth et al. 1971
● Systematically test the nature of attachment
● Aim: to see how infants (aged between 9 and 18 months) behave under conditions of mild stress and also novelty
● Procedure:
○ The research room is a novel environment - 9x9 foot space often marked off into 16 squares to help in
recording the infant’s movements
○ Consists of 8 episodes - each designed to highlight certain behaviours
○ Key features of these episodes are that the caregiver and stranger alternatively stay with the infant or
leave - enables observation of the infant’s response to:
■ Separation from the caregiver (separation anxiety)
■ Reunion with the caregiver (reunion behaviour)
■ Response to a stranger (stranger anxiety)
■ The novel environment, which aims to encourage exploration and thus tests the secure base
concept
○ Scoring:
■ Proximity and contact seeking
■ Contact maintaining
■ Avoidance of proximity and contact
■ Resistance to contact and comfort
Episodes – 3 minute duration Behaviour assessed
1. Parent and infant play /
2. Parent sits while infant plays Use of parent as secure base
3. Stranger enters and talks to parent stranger anxiety
4. Parent leaves, infant plays, stranger offers comfort if needed Separation anxiety
5. Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort if needed, Reunion behaviour
stranger leaves
6. Parents leaves, infant is alone Separation anxiety
7. Stranger enters and offers comfort Stranger anxiety
8. Parent returns, greets infant, offers comfort Reunion behaviour
● Findings:
○ Total of 106 middle-class infants observed
○ Noted similarities and differences in the ways that infants behave
○ Exploratory behaviours declined in all infants from episode 2 onwards, whereas the amount of crying
increased
○ Found 3 main patterns of behaviours
■ Consistent clusters of behaviours which added up to 3 qualitatively different types of attachment
Secure – type B Insecure-avoidant – type A Insecure-resistant – type C
Willingness to explore High High Low
Stranger anxiety Moderate Low High
Separation anxiety Some easy to soothe Indifferent Distressed
Behaviour at reunion with Enthusiastic Avoids contact Seeks and rejects
