Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’
Mary Ainsworth worked with John Bowlby on the development of attachment theory. Her
particular contribution was to produce a method, still used today, to assess the quality of
attachment between a baby and others. This method of assessment is called the Strange
Situation.
Aim
The Strange Situation was developed by Mary Ainsworth and Silvia Bell (1970). The aim
was to be able to observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality
(what type of attachment) of a baby’s attachment to a caregiver
Procedure
The Strange Situation is a controlled environment, covert, non-participant observation
procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a baby displays towards a
caregiver. It takes place in a novel (new) environment, a 9 x 9 foot space with controlled
conditions (i.e., a laboratory) with a one-way mirror and/or cameras through which
psychologists can observe the baby’s behaviour every 15 seconds. Ainsworth’s sample
consisted of 106 middle-class, American infants aged between 9 and 18 months.
The behaviours used to judge attachment include:
(What they were looking for)
- Proximity-seeking – a baby with a good quality attachment will stay fairly close to
a caregiver / the desire for proximity
- Exploration and secure-base behaviour – good attachment enables a baby to feel
confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base, i.e., a point of
contact that will make them feel safe.
- Stranger anxiety – one of the signs of becoming closely attached is a display of
anxiety when a stranger approaches
- Separation anxiety – another sign of becoming attached is to protest at separation
from the caregiver
- Response to reunion – babies who are securely attached greet the caregiver’s
return with pleasure and seek comfort
, The procedure has 8 episodes, each of which lasts three minutes
(Don’t need to learn all 8)
1. Observer introduces mother and baby to experimental room, then leaves
2. The baby is encouraged to explore -> tests exploration and secure base
3. A stranger comes in, talks to the mother and approaches the baby -> tests
stranger anxiety
4. The mother leaves the baby and stranger together (first separation episode) ->
tests separation and stranger anxiety
5. The mother returns and the stranger leaves (first reunion episode) -> tests
reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base
6. The mother leaves the baby alone (second separation episode) -> tests
separation anxiety
7. The stranger returns -> tests stranger anxiety
8. The mother returns and is reunited with the baby (second reunion episode) -> tests
reunion behaviour
This means that the following combinations are in the room during the different episodes:
- Mother and baby
- Mother and baby and stranger
- Stranger and baby
- Baby alone
-> Carer and stranger alternately stay with the infant or leave
Findings
Ainsworth et al. (1978) found that there were distinct patterns in the way that babies
behaved. They identified 3 main types of attachment:
- Secure attachment (Type B) - These babies explore happily but regularly go back
to their caregiver (proximity-seeking and secure-base behaviour). They usually
show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety (they trust
the mother will return). Securely attached babies require and accept comfort
from the caregiver in the reunion stage.
- Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A) - These babies explore freely (want to
play regardless of mum’s presence) but do not seek proximity or show secure-
base behaviour. They show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and
little stranger anxiety. They make little effort to make contact when the caregiver
returns and may even avoid such contact. - indifferent
Mary Ainsworth worked with John Bowlby on the development of attachment theory. Her
particular contribution was to produce a method, still used today, to assess the quality of
attachment between a baby and others. This method of assessment is called the Strange
Situation.
Aim
The Strange Situation was developed by Mary Ainsworth and Silvia Bell (1970). The aim
was to be able to observe key attachment behaviours as a means of assessing the quality
(what type of attachment) of a baby’s attachment to a caregiver
Procedure
The Strange Situation is a controlled environment, covert, non-participant observation
procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a baby displays towards a
caregiver. It takes place in a novel (new) environment, a 9 x 9 foot space with controlled
conditions (i.e., a laboratory) with a one-way mirror and/or cameras through which
psychologists can observe the baby’s behaviour every 15 seconds. Ainsworth’s sample
consisted of 106 middle-class, American infants aged between 9 and 18 months.
The behaviours used to judge attachment include:
(What they were looking for)
- Proximity-seeking – a baby with a good quality attachment will stay fairly close to
a caregiver / the desire for proximity
- Exploration and secure-base behaviour – good attachment enables a baby to feel
confident to explore, using their caregiver as a secure base, i.e., a point of
contact that will make them feel safe.
- Stranger anxiety – one of the signs of becoming closely attached is a display of
anxiety when a stranger approaches
- Separation anxiety – another sign of becoming attached is to protest at separation
from the caregiver
- Response to reunion – babies who are securely attached greet the caregiver’s
return with pleasure and seek comfort
, The procedure has 8 episodes, each of which lasts three minutes
(Don’t need to learn all 8)
1. Observer introduces mother and baby to experimental room, then leaves
2. The baby is encouraged to explore -> tests exploration and secure base
3. A stranger comes in, talks to the mother and approaches the baby -> tests
stranger anxiety
4. The mother leaves the baby and stranger together (first separation episode) ->
tests separation and stranger anxiety
5. The mother returns and the stranger leaves (first reunion episode) -> tests
reunion behaviour and exploration/secure base
6. The mother leaves the baby alone (second separation episode) -> tests
separation anxiety
7. The stranger returns -> tests stranger anxiety
8. The mother returns and is reunited with the baby (second reunion episode) -> tests
reunion behaviour
This means that the following combinations are in the room during the different episodes:
- Mother and baby
- Mother and baby and stranger
- Stranger and baby
- Baby alone
-> Carer and stranger alternately stay with the infant or leave
Findings
Ainsworth et al. (1978) found that there were distinct patterns in the way that babies
behaved. They identified 3 main types of attachment:
- Secure attachment (Type B) - These babies explore happily but regularly go back
to their caregiver (proximity-seeking and secure-base behaviour). They usually
show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety (they trust
the mother will return). Securely attached babies require and accept comfort
from the caregiver in the reunion stage.
- Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A) - These babies explore freely (want to
play regardless of mum’s presence) but do not seek proximity or show secure-
base behaviour. They show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and
little stranger anxiety. They make little effort to make contact when the caregiver
returns and may even avoid such contact. - indifferent
