The Strange Situation
Task 1: Cut out the following statements and place them in the correct order of how
Ainsworth carried out her ‘Strange Situation’ task. DON’T STICK THE STATEMENTS INTO
YOUR BOOKS UNTIL YOU HAVE THE CORRECT ANSWERS.
Mother and infant enter the room. Mother sits on one of the chairs and
reads a magazine. Child is placed on the floor and free to explore the toys.
Three minutes later the mother departs again leaving the baby briefly
alone in the room.
The stranger re-enters and offers to comfort and play with the baby.
After around three minutes the mother returns again and the stranger
leaves.
After about three minutes, a strangers enters, sits on the second chair and
talks briefly with the mother.
The mother returns and the stranger leaves.
The stranger approaches the infant and attempts to interacts and play
with them.
Mother leaves the room so the infant is alone with the stranger. The
stranger comforts the baby if they are upset and offers to play with them.
Results to Ainsworth & Bell (1970)
Task 2: Read the 11 statements below and decide where each of these statements might
appear in the table on the following page. To start with – just write the number in the
table and not the full sentence.
1. High separation anxiety, the child’s play is seriously disrupted when the mother leaves.
2. Infant explores unfamiliar environment, returning to the mother at regular intervals
and using her as a safe-base.
3. ‘Hot and Cold’ behaviour towards the stranger, not sure how to act.
4. Pleased to see the mother and is easily comforted in her presence.
5. High stranger anxiety, the child is wary of strangers and will move closer to the mother
when she is present with the stranger.
6. Explores the unfamiliar environment but does NOT return to the mother and does NOT
use her as a safe-base.
7. Not easily comforted by mother and rejects (resists) attempts of mother’s comfort.
8. Little reaction upon mother’s return and often ignores her.
9. High separation anxiety, extremely distressed and violent when mother leaves.
10. Low separation anxiety, not concerned by the mother’s departure.
11. Low stranger anxiety, unconcerned about stranger and shows little preference
between mother and stranger.
Secure (66%)
Type B
Exploration
Separation
Anxiety
Stranger Anxiety
Reunion
Behaviour
Insecure-avoidant
(22%) Type A
Insecure resistant
(12%) Type C
Attachment Types
Task 3: Read the following and state which attachment type the child is according to
Ainsworth’s Strange Situation. Highlight the key phrases or words that helped you make
your decision.
Child A
Sarah is at the park. Her mother quickly pops into a shop while Sarah is playing. Sarah
cannot see her mother and can only see strangers. She continues playing seemingly
unbothered by the absence of her mother.
Child B
Freddy is watching a television programme while playing. He becomes scared by the
programme and climbs onto his mother’s lap. He is comforted by his mother, and calms
down. When he is calmer, he climbs down and continues playing.
Child C
Sam is dropped off by his mother at the house of a new babysitter. When the mother
leaves, he cries incessantly. The babysitter cannot calm him down. Later on, when the
mother comes to pick him up, she tries to comfort him, but he still cries, and tries to push
his mother away.
Child D
Gemma is in a shop. She wanders off and loses sight of her mum. She starts crying, and a
stranger finds her, and tries to comfort her. Gemma still cries and pushes the stranger
away. When her mother finds her, Gemma is relieved and hugs her mother. She calms
down.
Child E
Katie is at playgroup with her mother. She seems disorganised and constantly keeps
coming back to her mother while playing. She cries a lot. When her mother leaves the room
briefly, Katie cries loudly. She won’t let any other adult pick her up. When her mother
returns, Katie is clingy, but will not let her mother hug her.
Child F
At a family get together, Bruce goes from adult to adult wanting attention. His mother is
not favoured over other adults. Later when he is taken upstairs to bed, he cries when the
door is closed and he is by himself.
Child G
Nancy is at the doctor’s getting an injection. When she is briefly left alone with the doctor,
she is uneasy but settles when her mother renters the room. When the doctor injects her,
she cries and clings to her mother. After a while her mother is able to calm her down.
1. Mother and infant enter the room. Mother sits on one of the chairs and
reads a magazine. Child is placed on the floor and free to explore the
toys. Exploration
2. After about three minutes, a strangers enters, sits on the second chair
and talks briefly with the mother. Stranger Anxiety
3. The stranger approaches the infant and attempts to interacts and play
with them. Stranger Anxiety
4. Mother leaves the room so the infant is alone with the stranger. The
stranger comforts the baby if they are upset and offers to play with
them. Separation Anxiety
5. After around three minutes the mother returns again and the stranger
leaves. Reunion Behaviours
6. Three minutes later the mother departs again leaving the baby briefly
alone in the room. Separation Anxiety
7. The stranger re-enters and offers to comfort and play with the baby.
Stranger Anxiety
8. The mother returns and the stranger leaves. Reunion Behaviours