Attachment Types - Strange Situation

Q: Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation'

__Ainsworth__ performed a study investigating the relationship between a mother and her baby, and discovered three types of attachment.

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Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation'

Ainsworth performed a study investigating the relationship between a mother and her baby, and discovered three types of attachment.

Ainsworth's research

While Bowlby thought attachment was an all-or-nothing process, Mary Ainsworth’s research showed otherwise.
Ainsworth wanted to know if children differ in the ways they bond, and if so, why.
To find the answers, she used the Strange Situation procedure to study attachment between mothers and their infants.

The Strange Situation method

In the Strange Situation, the mother (or primary caregiver) and the infant (age 12-18 months) are placed in a room together.
There are toys in the room, and the caregiver and child spend some time alone in the room.
After the child has had time to explore her surroundings, a stranger enters the room.
The mother then leaves her baby with the stranger.
After a few minutes, she returns to comfort her child.

The Strange Situation method cont.

Based on how the infants/toddlers responded to the separation and reunion, Ainsworth identified three types of parent-child attachments: secure, avoidant, and resistant.

Criticisms of the Strange Situation

While some later studies have supported Ainsworth’s research, others have criticised it.
Some researchers have pointed out that a child’s temperament may have a strong influence on attachment.
Others have noted that attachment varies from culture to culture. This factor was not accounted for in Ainsworth’s research.

Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' - Three Types of Attachment

Based on how the infants/toddlers responded to the separation and reunion, Ainsworth identified three types of parent-child attachments: secure, avoidant, and resistant.

Secure attachment

The most common type of attachment - also considered the healthiest - is called secure attachment.
In this type of attachment, the toddler prefers their parent.
The attachment figure is used as a secure base to explore the environment and is sought out in times of stress.
Securely attached children were distressed when their caregivers left the room, but when they returned, the securely attached children were happy to see them.
Securely attached children have caregivers who are sensitive and responsive to their needs.

Avoidant attachment

With avoidant attachment, the child is unresponsive to the parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if the parent leaves.
The toddler reacts to the parent the same way she reacts to a stranger.
When the parent does return, the child is slow to show a positive reaction.
Ainsworth theorised that these children were most likely to have a caregiver who was insensitive and inattentive to their needs.

Resistant attachment

In cases of resistant attachment, children tend to show clingy behaviour, but then they reject the attachment figure’s attempts to interact with them.
These children do not explore the toys in the room because they are too fearful.
During separation, they become extremely disturbed and angry with the parent.
When the parent returns, the children are difficult to comfort.
Resistant attachment is the result of the caregivers’ inconsistent level of response to their child.