Summary Outline And Evaluate Types Of Attachment And The Strange Situation As An Explanation For Attachment Essay Plan A-Level Psychology (16 Marker Plan)

Outline And Evaluate Types Of Attachment And The Strange Situation As
An Explanation For Attachment

Para 1:
Ainsworth’s Strange situation aimed to assess how infants between 9 and 18 months behave
under conditions of mild stress and novelty, in order to test stranger anxiety, separation
anxiety and the secure base concept.
The study also wanted to assess individual differences between mother-infant pairs in terms
of the quality of their attachment
The procedure included a controlled observation with a 2 way mirror through which
psychologists could observe the infant’s behaviour
It consisted of 8 episodes or stages, each lasting approximately 3 minutes.
The infants involved were ages 9 to 18 months

Ainsworth assessed the following behaviour categories during the procedure:
1) Response to reunion
2) Exploration and secure-base behaviour
3) Separation anxiety
4) Stranger anxiety

Para 2:
Observes used a time-sampling technique, whereby infant’s behaviour was recorded every 15
seconds and was rated on an intensity scale of 1 to 7

EPIS WHO IS WHAT HAPPENS WHAT IS BEING
ODE INVOLVED ASSESSED
1 • CHILD - Child and caregiver enter N/A
• CAREGIVE unfamiliar room
R
2 • CHILD • Caregiver sits and reads magazine • Exploration
• CAREGIVE • Infant encouraged to explore • Secure base
R behaviour
3 • CHILD - A stranger enters and tries to - Stranger Anxiety
• CAREGIVE interact with infant
R
• STRANGER
4 • CHILD • Caregiver leaves • Stranger Anxiety
• STRANGER • Stranger reacts with infant • Separation
Anxiety
5 • CAREGIVE • Caregiver returns • Response to
R • Stranger leaves reunion
• CHILD • Exploration
• Secure base
behaviour
6 - CHILD - Caregiver leaves child alone - Separation