In the early 1960's Mary Ainsworth began the first in-depth studies regarding Attachment as a theory within Developmental Psychology. Explain what the Strange Situation is, what different styles of Attachment there are and how they effect a person through out their life.
Ainsworth and her colleagues at the John's Hopkins psychology department/laboratories created the basis for attachment theory by creating an experiment referred to as "The Strange Situation", which tested the relationship between mother and child. At the time it was assumed that the maternal caregiver would be of importance to shaping a child's life as they spent the most time at home or with the kids. The test created used a lab setting that was transformed to appear to be similar to a play room, but heavily monitored from an unnoticeable adjoined room and other devices. Since it is said signs of separation anxiety recorded after 8-10 months, the group of babies brought in ranged from 12-18 months in age. The original sampling came from roughly 100 middle-classed, American families.
It involved allowing the guardian to be there, not interacting, but at least being physically available to the child from the majority of the time in the room, only to leave twice, the first time a strangers enters, with parents approval, participates in playtime and/or conversation.
The results showed three main Attachment styles:
Secure, Anxious-Ambivalent, and Avoidant.
...
More to come at a later date.
No comments:
Post a Comment