Concept and Nature of Attachment - Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (1965)

Topics

Introduction
Stepwise Procedure
What Does the Test Measure?
Types of Attachment (from Reunion Behaviour)
Real-Life Application
Key Points: Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (1965)

CISCE: Class 12

Introduction

Mary Ainsworth was a psychologist whose work is important for understanding how children form emotional attachments to their caregivers. She invented the Strange Situation Test in 1965 to study the behavior of babies and their caregivers.

CISCE: Class 12

Stepwise Procedure

The Strange Situation Test usually has eight episodes. Each episode is an event or situation in a playroom:

Episode	Who is Present	What Happens
1	Mother, Baby, Experimenter	All enter the playroom for 30 seconds, and the experimenter leaves.
2	Mother, Baby	Baby plays, mother sits quietly (3 mins).
3	Mother, Baby, Stranger	A stranger enters and talks/plays for 3 mins.
4	Stranger, Baby	Mother leaves, stranger stays (up to 3 mins).
5	Mother, Baby	Mother returns, stranger leaves (3 mins).
6	Baby Alone	Mother leaves, baby alone (up to 3 mins).
7	Stranger, Baby	Stranger enters, comforts baby (up to 3 mins).
8	Mother, Baby	Mother returns, final reunion (3 mins).

CISCE: Class 12

What Does the Test Measure?

The test shows how babies react when left with a stranger, left alone, and reunited with the mother.
Researchers use it to look at the baby’s attachment style.

CISCE: Class 12

Types of Attachment (from Reunion Behaviour)

Secure: Baby is happy when mother returns; baby calms down quickly.
Anxious Avoidant: Baby ignores or avoids mother.
Anxious Ambivalent: Baby is distressed and not easily comforted. Sometimes resists the mother’s contact.
There can be smaller subtypes under these three main groups.

CISCE: Class 12

Real-Life Application

If a child is left with a stranger, what do they do when their parent comes back? If they hug quickly and calm down, they are likely “securely attached”. If they ignore or resist, they might be “avoidant” or “ambivalent”.

CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (1965)

Mary Ainsworth created the Strange Situation Test (1965) to study how babies form emotional bonds with caregivers.
The test has eight episodes involving separations and reunions between the baby, mother, and a stranger.
It observes how babies react when left alone, with a stranger, and when the mother returns.
The test identifies attachment types: Secure, Anxious-Avoidant, and Anxious-Ambivalent.
A securely attached baby is happy and calms quickly when the mother returns; others may avoid or resist contact.