The Strange Situation Test: Mary Ainsworths Attachment Theory Why is it that some people are more attached

in relationships than others? Early theories suggest that we are programmed to form attachments based on biological needs. John Bowlby believed that children and parents develop specific behaviors allowing them to stay in contact because attachment increases the likelihood for survival. Mary Ainsworths research proved that the development of attachment behavior actually extends beyond basic biological explanations. Marys early research on the effects of maternal separation culminated in the development of her Strange Situation Test, a well known observational method for determining an infants style of attachment. The test includes seven 3-minute episodes placing infants into specific situations; 1) a mother and infant are alone in a room, 2) a stranger joins, 3) the mother leaves, 4) the mother returns and the stranger leaves, 5) the mother also leaves and the infant is alone, 6) the stranger returns, 7) the mother returns and the stranger leaves. As the episodes unfold, observers note behaviors associated with four distinct categories; separation anxiety, willingness to explore, stranger anxiety, and reunion behaviors. Each category indicates tendencies toward a specific attachment style. Mary concluded that all infants could be categorized as having one of three attachment styles - each the result of the mothers style as caregiver; secure, insecure avoidant, or insecure ambivalent. A fourth style (disorganized/disoriented) was added later by Marys colleague Mary Main. While the Strange Situation test is reliable and accepted worldwide, it can be argued that it is specific to infant-mother relationships and cannot be generalized to other contexts. Additional studies show that many children exhibit different attachment styles depending on the circumstances. There is also controversy over the biased nature of the sample group (100 middle-class American families), and ethical grounds for placing infants into stressful situations.

Written by: Heather Tobin, MS