Ainsworth went to live in Uganda to study mother-child reactions. She proposed a link between the responsiveness of the mother and the reactions of the child. Some children’s attachments were secure and comfortable while others were tense and full of conflict. She also found that the child used the parent as a safe and secure base from which to explore.
She developed her own research methodology based on this – it was a structured observation using standardised procedures – which she called the strange situation.
The procedure is 8 steps long with each lasting around 3 minutes although the mother is charge and can stop the procedure at any time.
- The parent and baby enter the laboratory which is set up with toys and chairs to be comfortable for both parent and child.
- The parent doesn’t interact with the child, leaving them to explore.
- A stranger enters, speaks with the parent and approaches the child as the parent leaves.
- This is the first separation – the stranger tries to interact with the child.
- There is then the first reunion – the parent comes in and comforts the baby, leaving again – this is the start of the second separation.
- The stranger also leaves and the baby is left alone.
- The stranger enters and begins to interact with the baby.
- The parent returns and picks up the baby whilst the stranger leaves.
From this, Ainsworth developed the idea of three main attachment types:
- Securely attached – the child was distressed when the mother left and wanted comfort from her when she returned. They used the mother as a secure base, but also showed separation anxiety. In her study about 70% were securely attached.
- Anxious insecure – they were not distressed when the mother left and tended to avoid her when she returned and was equally as happy with the attention from the stranger. In her study about 15% fitted this type.
- Ambivalent insecure – they stayed close to the mother rather than exploring, and were very distressed when she left. They went for comfort on return and then rejected the comforting. Again, about 15% fitted this attachment type.
In 1986 Main and Solomon developed a fourth attachment type: disorganised and disorientated – characterised by the child both approaching and avoiding the mother on her return.