The strange situation

The strange situation

1. Ainsworth and Bell (1974)

   • How does a child behave towards strangers and caregivers in controlled conditions
   • Mother and child enter room
     • Mother responds to child if they seek it
       • Stranger enters, talks to mother, mother leaves
         • Stranger lets child play
           • Mother enters room and stranger leaves
             • Mother does not approach child
               • Repeated
   • If at any point the child cant be soothed the experiment is over.
   • They found three main attachment types
     • Secure
       • Resistant insecure
         • Avoidant insecure
           • dont mind separation, avoid contact on return, willing to explore
         • Distressed at separation, clingy on return, unwilling to explore
       • Explore, wary of stranger but easy to soothe, welcome mom back

2. Evaluate

   • Demand characteristics as unfamiliar setting
   • Assumes etic
     • Westernised children left alone for periods of time, ugandan not
   • Easy to replicate
     • Making it reliable
   • Incorrect to assume insecure attachment is maladaptive