Ainsworth

Ainsworth

1. secure attachment: explore happily and go back to caregiver (proximity seeking/ secure-base behaviour). They usually show moderate separation and stranger anxiety. They require/ accept comfort from caregiver in reunion stage. 60-75% are secure.

2. insecure avoidant attachment: these babies do not seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour. Little stranger anxiety and separation anxiety. Little response to reunion and may avoid contact from caregiver. 20-25%

3. Insecure-resistant attachment: seek greater proximity. High levels of stranger and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with caregiver. 3%

4. Strength: its outcome predicts different aspects of a baby's later development. Research shows that babies classed as secure attachment tend to have better outcomes than others. for example, better achievement in school and less involvement in bullying, also better mental health in adulthood. Babies falling into other categories have worst outcomes. This shows SS measures something meaningful in baby's development.

   • counterpoint: strange situation measures something meaningful with later development, but not all psychologists believe it's to do with attachment. Kagan suggested genetically-influenced anxiety levels may allow attachment behaviour to vary in SS and later development.

5. One limitation of strange situation it may not be a valid measure of attachment in diff. cultures. SS done in Britain and USA. It may be culture bound. Babies have diff. experiences in diff. cultures and this may affect their response to SS. A Japanese study conducted by Takahashi showed babies displayed high level of anxiety and so were classified as insecure-resistant. However, this response was not due to high levels of attachment insecurity but rather in Japan mother-baby separation is very rare. This means it's difficult to measure SS in other cultures.

6. high inter-rater reliability. Bick et al. tested inter-rater reliabilty with a team of trained observer and they later agreed 94% of cases. High reliability as done in controlled conditions. This means SS is not subjective.

7. Used 5 behaviour to study attachment. Procedure: 7 episodes for 3 minutes. A stranger comes in- stranger anxiety. The caregiver leaves baby and stranger together- separation/stranger anxiety. Caregiver comes back and stranger leaves- tests reunion behaviour. Caregiver leaves baby alone separation anxiety. Stranger returns-stranger anxiety. The caregiver returns- reunion behaviour.