close
test_template

Ainsworth’s Strange Situation: Pros and Cons

Human-Written
download print

About this sample

About this sample

close
Human-Written

Words: 548 |

Page: 1|

3 min read

Published: Jan 4, 2019

Words: 548|Page: 1|3 min read

Published: Jan 4, 2019

The strange situation was a testing procedure created by Mary Ainsworth et al. in 1978 to measure attachment. The aims of this study were to assess how infants between 9 and 18 months behave under conditions of mild stress in order to test stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and the secure base concept. Ainsworth also assessed individual differences between mother and infant pairs in terms of the quality of their attachments. The sample was 100 middle class American infants aged between 9-18 months and their mothers. They were assessed in an 8 stage controlled observation study and the behaviour of the infant was recorded after every stage. The first stage was the infant and care giver entering the unfamiliar room, briefly followed by the child being encouraged to explore the new surroundings. After about 3 minutes a stranger enters they talk to the care giver and attempt to interact with the infant. Next the mother leaves the room and the stranger offers comfort to the child if needed. The care giver then re-enters the room after 3 minutes and offers the infant comfort if needed and the stranger leaves. Soon after the care giver leaves, leaving the infant alone, however the stranger then re-enters offering comfort to the infant. Finally, the care giver enters and greets the infant. The behaviours that were tested were proximity seeking, exploration and secure base behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and the response to reunion. Three types of attachment were distinguished; insecure-avoidant, securely attached and insecure-resistant.

A strength of Ainsworth’s strange situation is its high internal validity. Due to her use of a controlled condition Ainsworth could control many of the factors within her experiment. Ainsworth controlled the experiment by using the same stranger throughout the whole study, the amount of time with/without the infant was assessed and the mother’s behaviour was controlled. Another strength of her study is that it was very easily performed and observed. The study required very little equipment, except for a child friendly room and toys for the infant to interact with. As a result of the controlled condition the study can be replicated multiple times to check the consistency of the findings. Also, researchers stood behind a one-way mirror and observed the mother-child and stranger-child relations that occurred.

On the other hand, a disadvantage of Ainsworth’s strange situation is its low external validity. As a result of the experiment occurring in an artificial environment, the data cannot be easily applied to the outside world. The artificial environment may have caused the child distress and therefore affected the results. Another disadvantage of the study would be its cultural bias. The experiment was performed on only American mothers and infants, this reduces the representativeness of the data as attachments in other cultures may differ from ones in America. A final disadvantage of Ainsworth’s study is that it only studies mother-infant relations, excluding father-infant attachments. In 1981, Main and Weston found that children acted differently in the strange situation depending on which parent they were with. Some children showed insecure-attachments to their mothers, but secure attachments to their fathers, showing that attachment types are linked to individual relationships with carers and not set characteristics of children. Overall this shows that the strange situation may not be a valid measure of attachment types.

Image of Alex Wood
This essay was reviewed by
Alex Wood

Cite this Essay

Ainsworth’s strange situation: pros and cons. (2019, January 03). GradesFixer. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/ainsworths-strange-situation-pros-and-cons/
“Ainsworth’s strange situation: pros and cons.” GradesFixer, 03 Jan. 2019, gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/ainsworths-strange-situation-pros-and-cons/
Ainsworth’s strange situation: pros and cons. [online]. Available at: <https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/ainsworths-strange-situation-pros-and-cons/> [Accessed 5 Dec. 2024].
Ainsworth’s strange situation: pros and cons [Internet]. GradesFixer. 2019 Jan 03 [cited 2024 Dec 5]. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/ainsworths-strange-situation-pros-and-cons/
copy
Keep in mind: This sample was shared by another student.
  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Write my essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

close

Where do you want us to send this sample?

    By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

    close

    Be careful. This essay is not unique

    This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

    Download this Sample

    Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

    close

    Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

    close

    Thanks!

    Please check your inbox.

    We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

    clock-banner-side

    Get Your
    Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

    exit-popup-close
    We can help you get a better grade and deliver your task on time!
    • Instructions Followed To The Letter
    • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
    • Unique And Plagiarism Free
    Order your paper now