Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth

Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth

1. Procedures

   • 1. Parent enters room with child and allows the child to explore
   • 2. Parent sits, infant plays. Stranger enters the room and talks to mother
   • 3. Parent leaves infant with stranger
   • 4. Parent returns and stranger leaves. Parent settles the infant
   • 5. Parent leaves again
   • 6. Stranger returns
   • 7. Parent areturns and stranger leaves

2. Secure Attachment Type B

   • Willingness to explore: high
   • Stranger anxiety: Stranger is able to offer some comfort
   • Separation anxiety: high
   • Reunion: enthusiastic
   • % of infants: 66

3. Insecure-avoidant Type A

   • Willingness to explore: high
   • Stranger anxiety: infant is okay with stranger and plays normally
   • Separation anxiety: shows no sign of distress when mother leaves
   • Reunion behaviour: shows little interest
   • % of infants: 22

4. Insecure-resitant Type C

   • Willingness to explore: low
   • Stranger anxiety: infant avoids stranger
   • Seaparation anxiety: intense distress
   • Reunion behaviour: Approaches mother but resists physical contact

5. A02 Points

   • High inter rater reliability
   • Can't be generalised beyond the sample
   • Main and Weston
     • Attachment type is mainly influenced by the mother
     • Test is culturally biased (imposed etics)