Attachment Styles and Strange Situation

Overview

This lecture introduces Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment, a key study in attachment theory, and explains the different attachment styles it identifies in children.

Mary Ainsworth and Attachment Theory

• Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation test to study attachment between children and caregivers.
• The study aimed to observe behaviors such as attachment seeking, resistance, and exploration.

The Strange Situation: Eight Stages

• 1. Mother and baby enter an observation room; experimenters watch from behind a mirror.
• 2. Baby is directed toward toys while the mother reads, assessing the child's use of the parent as a secure base.
• 3. A stranger enters, testing the child's reaction to unfamiliar people.
• 4. Parent leaves; stranger interacts with the child to observe reaction to parental absence.
• 5. Mother returns to comfort the child; attachment behaviors are assessed based on the child’s response.
• 6. Both parent and stranger leave, leaving the child alone to observe reactions to total separation.
• 7. Stranger returns and attempts to comfort the child, testing the role of the primary attachment figure.
• 8. Mother returns, comforts the child, and the experiment ends.

Types of Attachment

• Secure attachment: Child is comforted by caregiver and returns to exploring; caregiver is responsive to needs.
• Anxious attachment: Child is distressed by absence, may be inconsolable on return; caregiver has been inconsistent.
• Avoidant attachment: Child shows little emotion on separation/return; caregiver often rejects emotional needs.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Attachment — The emotional bond between a child and caregiver.
• Strange Situation — A structured observation developed by Ainsworth to assess attachment styles in young children.
• Secure Attachment — Attachment style where children feel confident their needs will be met.
• Anxious Attachment — Style marked by uncertainty about caregiver's availability and responsiveness.
• Avoidant Attachment — Style where children minimize emotional expression due to caregiver rejection.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Watch the next video for links between attachment theory and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
• Attend/prepare for the next lecture posted Monday at 6.