Strange Situation

Strange Situation

1. Mary Ainsworth (1978)

2. Types of attachment

   • Insecure-resistant
     • Low stranger/separation anxiety and are indifferent to their mother.
   • Insecure-avoidant
     • High stranger/separation anxiety but are resistant to comfort on reunion.
   • Secure
     • Moderate stranger/separation anxiety and have a healthy reunion with their mother.

3. Evaluation

   • Strengths
     • Internal validity
   • Weaknesses
     • Attachment types may change over time.
     • Lacks ecological validity.
     • Attachment types may be due to individual relationships not the infant (Main and Weston)

4. Study

   • Aim: to assess how individual differences between mother-infant pairs in terms of the quality of their relationships.
   • The mother and infant are put in an unfamiliar room. The infant explores. The stranger enters and interacts. The mother leaves stranger and infant alone. Reunion. Mother leaves infant alone. Stranger enters and interacts. Second reunion.
   • Avoidant - 15%, Secure - 70% and Resistant - 15%.
   • Sensitive responsiveness is the main factor in a good attachment.