Psychology: Individual Differences with Attachments

-How does one test attachments?

-By evaluating the QUALITY OF ATTACHMENTS, individual differences can be seen.
--->Schaffer and Emerson: some infants STRONGLY ATTACHED

-How was this tested?

-MARY AINSWORTH: Produced a study into attachment quality: STRANGE SITUATION.

Aim: To find an adequate measure of attachment quality by subjecting an infant to a situation of MINOR STRESS
-->1) comfort seeking 2)proximity: measures of quality.

Procedures: 100 middle class AMERICAN infants and their mothers
-Observation of infants/mothers undertaking tasks STRANGE SITUATION
-Notes were taken of:
1)Separation anxiety
2)Willingness to explore
3)Stranger anxiety
4)Reunion behaviour

Findings: AINSWORTH AND BELL: placed children in 3 types
TYPE B: SECURELY ATTACHED: 66%- EXPLORED room, UPSET upon separation, HAPPY upon arrival, AVOIDED stranger: SENSITIVE MOTHER
TYPE A: AVOIDANT INSECURE: 22%- DIDNT EXPLORE WELL, AVOIDED MOTHER absence/arrival, AVOIDANT towards stranger: SOMETIMES IGNORED CHILD
TYPE C: RESISTANT INSECURE: 12%- DISTRESSED upon mothers leave, REJECTED MOTHER in her arrival, AMBIVALENT towards stranger: MOTHER SOMETIMES AMBIVALENT

CRITICISMS: Hard to generalize, middle class americans: CULTURE BIAS
-->MAIN AND CASSIDY: TYPE D: INCONSISTENT CHILDREN: CONFUSED, STERETOYPICAL BEHAVIOUR:: ROCKING.