ATTACH - 7 - Ainsworth

What was the main aim of Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment?

• To observe and classify infant attachment styles.
• To study the role of food in attachment.
• To observe maternal behavior in infancy.
• To examine the impact of siblings on attachment.

Which behavior is not measured in the Strange Situation?

• Crying frequency.
• Proximity seeking.
• Stranger anxiety.
• Separation anxiety.

What attachment style is characterized by moderate stranger anxiety, moderate separation anxiety, and ease of reunion?

• Secure attachment (Type B).
• Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A).
• Insecure-resistant attachment (Type C).
• Insecure-disorganized attachment (Type D).

What attachment type is characterized by high separation anxiety and high stranger anxiety, but resists comfort on reunion?

• Insecure-resistant attachment (Type C).
• Secure attachment (Type B).
• Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A).
• Disorganized attachment (Type D).

What is a key strength of the Strange Situation as a research method?

• High inter-rater reliability due to strict and controlled procedures.
• It accurately predicts adult relationships.
• It measures attachment across all cultures effectively.
• It involves naturalistic observation.

What is a limitation of Ainsworth’s attachment types as identified by Main and Solomon (1986)?

• Ainsworth overlooked a fourth attachment type, insecure-disorganized.
• Ainsworth only observed mothers and not fathers.
• The classification system applies only to Western cultures.
• The study did not include enough infants in its sample.

What is predictive validity in relation to the Strange Situation?

• The test predicts future outcomes, such as mental health and social behaviors.
• The test predicts the infant’s likelihood of attachment to their caregiver.
• The test shows how anxious the infant will be in school.
• The test predicts future academic success.

What cultural limitation is associated with Ainsworth's Strange Situation?

• It reflects Western ideals and may not be applicable to other cultures.
• It was only conducted on infants from Germany and Japan.
• It does not apply to secure attachment in Western cultures.
• The study only looked at infants from rural areas.

According to Van Ijzendoorn et al. (1999), what percentage of infants were found to fit the disorganized attachment type (Type D)?

• 0.15
• 0.03
• 60-75%
• 20-25%

What argument does Kagan (1982) present against the predictive validity of the Strange Situation?

• The test may measure genetically influenced levels of anxiety rather than attachment style.
• The test does not account for environmental factors.
• The test does not predict future social behavior.
• The test does not show any long-term attachment outcomes.