Strange Situation

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The Strange Situation (1978)

Ainsworth and Bell wanted to test the nature of attachment by seeing how infants (9-18 months) behave under mild stress. Stress was created with the presence of strangers and separation of mother.

They had 100 middle class american infants and their mothers and observed them during a set of activities which lasted 3 minutes.

1. The mother and infant play together

2. Then the mother sits while the infant plays

3. Stranger enters and talks with mothers

4. Mother leaves while the infant plays and the stranger offers comfort if needed

5. Mother returns and offers comfort if needed. The stranger leaves

6. The mother leaves, leaving the infant alone

7. The stranger enters and offers comfort if needed

8. The mother returns and offers comfort.

The data was collect by a group of observers who recorded what the infant was doing every 15 secs and noted the behavior for intensity on the scale of 1-7.

Finding - Types Of Attachment

Securely-Attached (Type B) = 66%. they would explore the room freely, mildly distressed when mother left and greeted her warmly when she returned. Showed clear avoidance of stranger.

Insecure Avoidant (Type A) = 22% . The infants explored the room without reference to the mother, showed no reaction when she left and ignored her when she returned. The mother often ignored the infants.

Insecure Resistant (Type C) = 12%. The infants showed intense distress when mother left the room and reacted to her angrily when she returned.

Main & Solomon found another attachment type, 'Disorganised Attachment' . The infants tend to show confused, indecisive behaviors as well as showing distress like rocking.