What Was The Aim Of The Strange Situation?

The Strange situation is a standardized procedure devised by Mary Ainsworth

What was the main aim of the Strange Situation?

The Strange Situation is a semi-structured laboratory procedure that

allows us to identify, without lengthy home observation, infants who effectively use a primary caregiver as a secure base

.

What does the Strange Situation tell us?

The original method, developed by the influential psychologist Mary Ainsworth, is the laboratory procedure called the “Strange Situation” (Ainsworth et al 1978). Typically, the Strange Situation

tests how babies or young children respond to the temporary absence of their mothers.

What is the basic purpose of the Strange Situation Procedure quizlet?

The strange situation is a

controlled observation procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a child displays towards a caregiver

. It takes place in a room with quite controlled conditions with a two way mirror see which psychologists can observe the infants behaviour. You just studied 11 terms!

What type of experiment was the Strange Situation?

Ainsworth's Strange Situation (1970) used

structured observational research to assess & measure the quality of attachment

. It has 8 pre-determined stages, including the mother leaving the child, for a short while, to play with available toys in the presence of a stranger & alone and the mother returning to the child.

Why is the Strange Situation culturally biased?

The Strange Situation was created and tested in the USA, which means that it may be culturally biased (ethnocentric), as

it will reflect the norms and values of American culture

. For example, the belief that attachment is related to anxiety on separation. This may not be the case in other cultures, e.g. Japan.

How did the Strange Situation work?

In this procedure of the Strange Situation the child is observed playing for 21 minutes while caregivers and strangers enter and leave the room, recreating the flow of the familiar and unfamiliar presence in most children's lives. The situation varies in stressfulness and the child's responses are observed.

Is the Strange Situation valid?

Although, as Melhuish (1993) suggests, the Strange Situation is the most widely used method for assessing infant attachment to a caregiver, Lamb et al. … This means that

it lacks validity

, as it does not measure a general attachment style, but instead an attachment style specific to the mother.

Who developed the Strange Situation?

The

American-Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth

(1913-1999) developed the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to measure mother-child attachment and attachment theorists have used it ever since. When Ainsworth published the first results of the SSP in 1969, it seemed a completely novel and unique instrument.

What does insecure attachment look like?

People who develop an avoidant attachment style often have

a dismissive attitude

, shun intimacy, and have difficulties reaching for others in times of need. Ambivalent. People with an ambivalent attachment pattern are often anxious and preoccupied.

What is the general research conclusion regarding the Strange Situation?

What was the conclusion of the Strange Situation study?

There appears to be an association between the mother's behaviour and the child's attachment type. Negative points of the Strange Situation.

What is one criticism of the Strange Situation as a measure of attachment?

The biggest flaw of Ainsworth's strange situation is the fact that it

may not measure the attachment type of the infant but rather the quality of the relationship between the infant and caregiver

. A study conducted by Main and Weston concluded that infants behave differently depending on which parent they are with.

What was the sequence of events in the Strange Situation test?

-A sequence of events that

a child is in a unfamiliar room w/ mother, stranger enters,mother leaves:The child is classified

. “secure base” is what the attached parent serves as from which the child ventures+returns. You just studied 7 terms!

What are the 4 attachment styles?

• Secure – autonomous;
• Avoidant – dismissing;
• Anxious – preoccupied; and.
• Disorganized – unresolved.

What is disorganized attachment?

Disorganized attachment develops from

a parent's consistent failure to respond appropriately to their child's distress

, or by a parent's inconsistent response to their child's feelings of fear or distress. For example, a child might be distressed to be left with a new babysitter or unfamiliar caregiver.

How do you promote a secure attachment?

1. Hold and cuddle your baby. …
2. Make eye contact. …
3. Watch and listen to your baby. …
4. Comfort your baby every time she cries. …
5. Speak in a warm, soothing tone of voice. …
6. Maintain realistic expectations of your baby. …
7. Practice being fully present. …
8. Practice being self-aware.