Mary Ainsworth

Boots, Carly, Kaci, Mav, T-Bone Stevenson

Strange Situation Classification

Ainsworth looked at the security of attachment in oneto two-year-olds to their caregivers.
She created a experiment to observe different types of
attachments between a infant and their parent.
Used infants from 12 to 18 months
Sampled about 100 middle-class American families

Strange Situation Classification

Consisted of 8 different episodes.
Each episode lasted about a period of three minute
(except the the first episode- one minute).

First Episode
The caregiver and infant are introduced to the
experiment room.

Second Episode
The parent sits and let's the baby play and the
researcher observes how the child uses the parent as a
secure base.

Third Episode

A stranger then enters the room and speaks with the

parent. The researchers stranger anxiety in this
episode.

Stranger Anxiety
Stranger anxiety is how the child will react to the
stranger, examples of those reactions would be crying
or hiding from the person.
Is to occur when a child is frightened or uncomfortable
when approached by a stranger.
Can occur even when the caregiver is with the child.

Fourth Episode
The parent will leave the room and the stranger will
stay, the stranger lets the baby play and offers comfort
to the baby if needed. The researcher observes the
separation anxiety that the baby experiences during this
time.

Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety is normal with young children.
Occurs when the child is away from home or a loved
one.
Causes them to become fearful and nervous.

Fifth Episode
The parent will return to the room and greets the baby,
and offers comfort if is needed by the child. The
strangers leaves the room during that time and the
researcher record the reactions to the reunion during
that time.

Sixth Episode
The parent leaves so the baby is the only one in the
room, and the researcher again observe the separation
anxiety of the child

Seventh Episode
The stranger again enters the room, and offers comfort
to the child. The experimenters observe the stranger
anxiety and the ability of the baby to get comforted by
the baby.

Eighth Episode
The parent returns the room and greets the baby, and
offers it support and lets the baby return to play and the
observers record the babys reaction to the parent
returning.

Anxious-Ambivalent Insecure Attachment

Anxious-Ambivalent Insecure Attachment is
when a child is anxious around strange,
even if the caregiver is present. When the
caregiver departs the child is very distressed
and when the caregiver returns the child will
seek to remain close to the caregiver.

Types of Attachment.
Ainsworth identified 4 types of attachment \
o
o
o
o

Secure Attachment
Resistant Attachment
Anxious-Ambivalent Insecure Attachment
Anxious-Avoidant Insecure Attachment

Secure Attachment
Secure attachment is where a child is securely attached
to a caregiver, and when the child is with the caregiver
the child will engage with the strangers, it will be visibly
upset when the caregivers leaves and happy when it
returns.The child will not engage with the stranger
without the caregiver in the room.

Anxious-Avoidant Insecure Attachment

Anxious-Avoidant Insecure Attachment is when the child
show little to no emotion when the caregiver leaves or
returns. The child does not explore much, regardless of
who is there, they also will not show not much emotion
for whoever is in the room or even if it is empty.

Resistant Attachment
Resistant attachment is an insecure attachment where
the child has a anxious reaction. A child that shows this
type of attachment does not play or explore when the
parent or is not in the room. The child does not serve as
a secure base for play, but still becomes upset when the
parent leaves the room. Once the parent comes back
the child will be resentful and resist attempts from the
parent to comfort the child.