Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ Procedure

This section explains Ainsworth’s ‘Strange Situation’ procedure within the topic of attachment. Mary Ainsworth developed the Strange Situation procedure in the 1970s to assess the quality of attachment between infants and their caregivers. This controlled observation allowed Ainsworth to identify distinct patterns of attachment behaviours in young children.

The Strange Situation Procedure

Aim: To observe key attachment behaviours in order to classify the attachment type of infants.

Procedure:

• Conducted in a controlled laboratory setting with infants aged 12 to 18 months.
• Consisted of eight episodes, each lasting about 3 minutes, designed to test:
• Separation anxiety (infant’s response to the caregiver leaving).
• Stranger anxiety (infant’s response to the presence of a stranger).
• Reunion behaviour (infant’s behaviour when the caregiver returns).
• Exploration and secure base behaviour (whether the infant feels confident to explore, using the caregiver as a secure base).

Episodes:

• Mother and infant enter the room, where the infant can explore (secure base behaviour).
• Stranger enters and interacts with the infant (stranger anxiety).
• Mother leaves the infant with the stranger (separation and stranger anxiety).
• Mother returns and the stranger leaves (reunion behaviour).
• Mother leaves the infant alone (separation anxiety).
• Stranger returns (stranger anxiety).
• Mother returns, and stranger leaves (reunion behaviour).
• Types of Attachment Identified
• Based on the behaviours observed, Ainsworth identified three main types of attachment:

Secure Attachment (Type B):

Behaviour:

• Infant uses the caregiver as a secure base for exploration.
• Shows moderate separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.
• Demonstrates joy and comfort upon reunion with the caregiver.

Caregiver Behaviour:

Responsive, sensitive, and consistently meeting the infant’s emotional needs.

Prevalence: Approximately 60-75% of infants in Western cultures.

Significance: Secure attachment is linked to healthy emotional and social development.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment (Type A):

Behaviour:

• Infant shows little or no separation anxiety and minimal response to the caregiver leaving.
• Avoids or ignores the caregiver upon reunion, showing little interest.
• Comfortable interacting with a stranger.
• Caregiver Behaviour:
• Often unresponsive, neglectful, or emotionally distant.

Prevalence: About 20-25% of infants.

Significance: Insecure-avoidant attachment may be associated with difficulties in forming close relationships later in life.

Insecure-Resistant Attachment (Type C):

Behaviour:

• Infant shows high levels of separation anxiety and intense stranger anxiety.
• Seeks and resists comfort from the caregiver upon reunion, showing ambivalence.
• Clings to the caregiver but also rejects them when comfort is offered.

Caregiver Behaviour:

Inconsistent, sometimes responsive, but often neglectful or over-intrusive.

Prevalence: About 3-12% of infants.

Significance: Insecure-resistant attachment is associated with anxiety and clinginess in relationships.

Evaluation of the Strange Situation:

Strengths:

Provides a reliable method for assessing attachment, as the procedure is highly standardised.

Supported by extensive research, showing predictive validity for later social and emotional development.

Criticisms:

Cultural Bias: The Strange Situation was developed in the US, and attachment behaviours may be interpreted differently in other cultures, reducing its cross-cultural validity.

Ethical Issues: The procedure can cause distress to the infant, particularly during separation episodes.

Over-simplification: Fails to consider the possibility of disorganised attachment (a later category added by Main and Solomon) characterised by a lack of clear attachment behaviour.

Cultural Variations in Attachment

Research on attachment has shown that the distribution of attachment types varies across different cultures, reflecting cultural norms and parenting practices.

van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) - Meta-Analysis of Cross-Cultural Studies

Aim: To investigate the extent of cultural variations in attachment types using the Strange Situation across different countries.

Procedure:

A meta-analysis of 32 studies from 8 different countries, involving over 2,000 children.

Examined the proportion of secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant attachment types in each country.

Findings:

Secure Attachment:

Was the most common attachment type in all cultures, supporting the idea that secure attachment is a universal characteristic.

However, the percentage varied:

Highest in the UK (75%).

Lowest in China (50%).

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment:

More common in Western cultures, particularly Germany (35%), where independence is emphasised.

Less common in non-Western cultures, like Japan and Israel.

Insecure-Resistant Attachment:

Higher prevalence in non-Western cultures, particularly in Japan (27%) and Israel (29%).

Less common in Western cultures.

Conclusion:

Although secure attachment is the most prevalent across cultures, there are significant cultural variations in the proportions of insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant attachments.

These differences are attributed to varying child-rearing practices and cultural values. For example, Japanese infants are rarely separated from their mothers, leading to higher levels of separation anxiety and insecure-resistant attachments in the Strange Situation.

Evaluation:

Strengths:

Large sample size enhances the generalisability of the findings.

Provides evidence for the universality of secure attachment as an adaptive behaviour.

Criticisms:

Imposed Etic: The use of the Strange Situation, developed in the US, may not be suitable for all cultures. It may impose Western norms of behaviour, which may not accurately reflect attachment in non-Western societies.

Within-Culture Variations: The study found more variation within cultures than between them, suggesting that individual differences and socio-economic factors may also influence attachment.

Ethnocentrism: Cultural differences in attachment may be misunderstood or judged based on Western norms, potentially leading to biased interpretations.

Conclusion

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation provided a structured method to assess attachment types, highlighting the importance of caregiver responsiveness in forming secure attachments. However, cultural variations, as shown by van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg, suggest that attachment behaviours are influenced by cultural norms and practices. Understanding these cultural differences is crucial for a more comprehensive view of attachment across human societies.