Chapter 1. Attachment Behaviors in the Strange Situation

Synopsis

Lisa Huffman, Ball State University

S. Stavros Valenti, Hofstra University

Infants’ Attachment to Caregiver

^{Relationships with siblings, like other relationships, are guided by a child's internal working model of attachment.}

Attachment is the tie that binds one person to another. Our earliest attachment, and oneof the most important in our lives, is that to our mother, father, or close caregiver.

According to John Bowlby, a high‐quality attachment in infancy is important for two reasons.

• It provides the infant with a secure base from which to explore the environment and to learn about people and objects in the world.
• It provides an internal working model, or a mental representation, of relationships that acts to guide the child in future relationships.

The Strange Situation

Based on Mary Ainsworth’s research, Ainsworth and Wittig created the Strange Situation as a method for assessing the degree of attachment between a child and a caregiver. Children and caregivers are observed in the Strange Situation, which is made up of 7 3‐minute segments:

• (1) caregiver and child together;
• (2) stranger enters joining caregiver and child;
• (3) caregiver leaves child and stranger alone;
• (4) caregiver returns, and stranger leaves:
• (5) caregiver departs leaving child alone;
• (6) stranger returns to be with child;
• (7) caregiver returns and stranger leaves.

By observing how the child responds to the caregiver leaving, how the child does or does not explore the surroundings, how the child responds to the stranger, and how the child responds to the caregiver’s return, a researcher can assign the observed attachment to one of four types: secure attachment, insecure‐resistant attachment, insecure‐avoidant attachment, or disorganized/disoriented attachment.

Secure Attachment in the Strange Situation

A high‐quality relationship between an infant and the primary caregiver is known as a secure attachment.

• A securely attached infant willingly explores the environment and engages in play in the presence of the caregiver.
• A securely attached infant may become upset when separated from the caregiver but is easily comforted when reunited. The speed and ease of comforting upon reunion is the best indicator of the quality of the attachment.
• A securely attached infant has a special relationship with the primary caregiver, and as a result, no one else is as effective at soothing the infant.

Watch this video of Mateo, who demonstrates secure attachment in a simulation of the Strange Situation.

Insecure‐Resistant Attachment in the Strange Situation

Ainsworth identified two attachment patterns that reflect an insecure attachment. The children in the insecure‐resistant attachment and insecure‐avoidant attachment categories are attached to their caregivers but not as positively nor as strongly as those who are securely attached.

An insecure‐resistant infant is often clingy staying close to the mother in the Strange Situation rather than exploring the room and its toys. When the mother leaves, the child tends to get very upset. The insecure‐resistant child may cry and demonstrate angry behavior. During the reunion, the infant clearly wants to reestablish contact with the mother (e.g., coming close, indicating that he/she wants to be picked up) only to resist those very efforts from the mother (e.g., by hitting and pushing).

Watch this video clip of Isla, who demonstrates insecure‐resistant attachment in a simulation of the Strange Situation.

Insecure‐Avoidant Attachment in the Strange Situation

Watch this video clip of Zachary, who demonstrates insecure‐avoidant attachment in a simulation of the Strange Situation.

Fourth Pattern of Attachment

An infant in this category seems to have no consistent way of coping with the stress of the Strange Situation. The infant’s behavior is often confused or contradictory. The infant often does not cry when the mother leaves. Upon reunion, the child wants to approach the mother but also seems to regard her with fear. For example, the infant may smile while approaching the mother only to suddenly get upset. A disorganized/disoriented child also may seem dazed or perplexed. Some may even demonstrate a “frozen” posture.

Children who are neglected or maltreated, children from homes with parent(s) suffering from a traumatic event, and/or children of depressed mothers are all examples of children at risk for disorganized/disoriented attachment. In these types of situations, these distressed or angry parents may look scared or behave in frightening ways toward their children. The erratic and unpredictable behavior of these types of caregivers is detrimental to the children’s sense of attachment as well as to the children’s overall development.

Cultural Variations in Attachment

• about 5% of children show disorganized/disoriented attachment,
• about 15% of children show an insecure‐resistant pattern of attachment,
• about 20% of children an insecure‐avoidant pattern of attachment, and
• approximately 65 percent of children show a secure attachment.

Infant behavior in the Strange Situation is relatively similar across different cultures. Researchers have discovered that secure is the most frequently found attachment classification in all countries studied to date.

In spite of this worldwide trend, there are some interesting variations in attachment patterns between cultures. In Japan, for example, infants are more likely to become distressed during the Strange Situation and more likely to be classified as insecure‐resistant. Because physical closeness and intimacy between mother and child are considered desirable in Japanese society, Japanese children may be less likely to venture out into the room in the Strange Situation. Furthermore, Japanese mothers rarely leave their children in the care of an unfamiliar person, so their mothers leaving them in the Strange Situation may feel unduly stressful. Another example of cultural variation is that infants in northern Germany are more likely to show higher rates of insecure‐avoidant behavior in the Strange Situation because German parents actively foster independence in their children.

Is Attachment Style Unchangeable?

Summary

The topic of parent‐child attachment is worthy of research because we know that children who are securely attached are more likely to grow up to be more socially competent, have higher self‐esteem, and have more and higher quality friendships than those who are less securely attached to their caregiver.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Assessment: Check Your Understanding