Type of attachment

Type of attachment

1. (Ainsworth) Strange situation

   • To investigate the reactions of young children to the experiences in the strange situation and to use these to determine the nature of attachment behaviours and the types of attachments
   • (method)The child's behaviours were recorded throughout the sequence of events which lasted for approximately 25 minutes
     • Episode 1- Mother and baby are introduced to the experimental room.
     • Episode 2- Mother is non-participant while baby explores
     • Episode 3- Stranger enters. Stranger silent for the 1st min, converses with mother for the 2nd min, approaches baby for the 3rd min. The mother then leaves unobtrusively
     • Episode 4- First separation. Stranger's behaviour is geared to the baby's
     • Episode 5-First reunion episode. Stranger leaves and mother greets baby. Mother then leaves and say bye
     • Episode 6- Second separation episode. Baby is left alone for 3 mins or less
     • Episode 7-Stranger enters and gears her behaviour to the baby's
     • Episode 8- Mother enters, greet baby, meanwhile stranger leaves unobtrusively
   • (result) Classified as securely attached, anxious-avoidant or anxious-resistant. This was done based on the behavioural measures taken including whether they sought and maintained proximity and their exploration of the surroundings
   • (Evaluation)
     • Reliable-Has been replicated many times in different cultures
     • The conclusion do not consider the temperament of the child or the two-way nature of the relationship. They do not take into account the behaviour of the mother
     • Replicable- standardise
     • Correlational so cannot tell the direction of causation
     • Highly artificial-observation was in specially set up room
     • Ecological validity- good because parents do sometimes leave the child for working. Bad because deliberately exposing the child to stress as part of a psychological study is very different from what happens in everyday life
   • (Conclusion) The type of attachment is dependent on the mother's sensitivity and responsiveness to the child

2. Type A( Insecure/ anxious-avoidant)

   • Not distressed during absence. Avoid closeness, ignore mum or greets her casually when reuinion
   • Mothers were uninterested in the infant or suffocating-not sensitive

3. Type B( Secure)

   • Explores actively in mums presence and is distressed in her absence. Seeks closeness on return
   • Mothers were very sensitive to their child's needs. They responded in an emotionally expressive way

4. Type C (Insecure/ anxious-resistant)

   • Anxious before separation, distressed during separation. Both seeks and avoids contact with mum on return
   • Mothers were interested in their child but misunderstood their needs. They varied in the way they treated them which the child cannot reply on support

5. Type D (Disorganised)

   • Incomplete movement and reactions. The baby faces a conflict between seeking and avoiding closeness to the attachment figure