Measuring attachments

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ROOTS OF ATTACHMENT THEORY : Bowlby believed that the attachments made by an infant throughout early stages of its life would affect later attachments and behaviours.

From this attachment figure which is used as a safe base for the child to be able to explore the world.

Those attachment figures which tend to give a lot of attention and time to the infant tend to raise children whom feel safe and establish a sense of security.

ASSESSING ATTACHMENTS : MARY AINSWORTH

In the 1960s Ainsworth translated the attachment theory into observational. A method was designed to be able to see whether or not a child was or was not securely attached.

The experiment led to 3 main types of attachments being created:

secure attachment - upset when caregiver leaves, relaxed when reunited with caregiver.

Insecure avoidant - no response when separated from caregiver and no response on return of caregiver

Insecure resistant (ambivalent) - extremely upset when caregiver leaves, not easily consoled on return of caregiver

IN 1964 MAIN AND SOLOMON discovered another type of attachment -

Disorganised insecure attachment = a child displays not one certain behaviour of attachment and therefore cannot be categorised. This is linked to a disorganised and infrequent parenting style.

CRITICISMS of the strange situation =

Critics believe that children surely must have more than one of these attachments depending on the situation they are in.

There has also been criticism due to the fact that some children who are well looked after from birth and are very close to their caregiver but however have been in child care from a young age may just be used to the idea of the caregiver leaving and nothing to do with their upbringing or attachment.

Challenges the ecological validity of the situation.

Ethical concerns of putting a child through a deliberately stressful situation.