Projects

The security of attachment in one- to two-year-olds was investigated by Ainsworth and Bell (1970) in the 'strange situation' study, in order to determine the nature of attachment behaviors and styles of attachment. Ainsworth (1970) developed an experimental procedure in order to observe the variety of attachment forms exhibited between mothers and infants. The experiment is set up in a small room with one way glass so the behavior of the infant can be observed. Infants were aged between 49-51 weeks of age. The sample comprised about 56 white middle class American families. The procedure, known as the ‘Strange Situation’, was conducted by observing the behavior of the infant in a series of seven 3-minute episodes, as follows:
1. Parent and infant alone.
2. Stranger joins parent and infant.
3. Parent leaves infant and stranger alone.
4. Parent returns and stranger leaves.
5. Parent leaves; infant left completely alone.
6. Stranger returns.
7. Parent returns and stranger leaves.
A frequency measure was used for three forms of exploratory behavior: locomotor, manipulatory, visual, and crying; a score was given in intervals for which behavior occurred. Each episode lasted for three minutes; there were longer and shorter episodes that were prorated. A second measure was used based on the coding of behaviors in which the contingencies of the mother’s or stranger’s behavior had to be taken into consideration (Anisworth, 1970). The five classes of behavior scored were:
1. Proximity and contact seeking behaviors includes active, effective behaviors i.e.: reaching or leaning gestures and directed cries.
2. Contact maintaining behavior is the situation after the baby gains contact, whether it is the child’s initiative or someone else’s i.e.: resisting release through intensified clinging.
3. Proximity and interaction avoiding behaviors are situations which ordinarily elicit approach through greetings, watching, and interaction across a distance i.e.: