Olivia Gudeahn
Attachment theory is a pillar of developmental psychology. It describes the early relationship between a primary caregiver and their child as highly influential towards the future development of the child’s attachment style, or their behavior in other relationships (Flaherty & Sadler, 2011). Attachment theory specifies four main types: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachments (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). These attachment styles can be observed during the Strange Situation assessment, pioneered by Dr. Mary Ainsworth of the University of Toronto (GoodTherapy, 2018).
Ainsworth completed her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Toronto; she earned her BA in 1935, MA in 1936, and PhD from 1935 to 1939 (Cherry, 2019). After attaining a doctorate in psychology, Ainsworth taught at the University of Toronto before moving to London with her husband.
In London, Ainsworth worked with psychologist John Bowlby, who was interested in exploring the bonds between mothers and their children. Bowlby suggested that human children are born with "an innate drive to form attachments with caregivers" (Cherry, 2023)–that this drive for bond formation functions as a survival mechanism. After collaborating with Bowlby, Ainsworth completed a two-year study at the East African Institute for Social Research in Kampala, Uganda (Bretherton, 2013). In Uganda, Ainsworth “conducted an observational study of 26 mothers and their infants living in six villages near Kampala,” (Duschinsky, 2020).
Ainsworth’s observations revealed that the more responsive a mother was to her baby's needs, the more likely the baby was to develop a secure attachment to the mother figure (Arcus, n.d.). Results of the SSP show that securely attached infants display distress when the caregiver leaves the room, are wary of the stranger when alone, and are happy when the caregiver returns (McLeod, 2024). Securely attached infants view the caregiver as someone who will work to meet their needs.
Ainsworth also observed differences in the mothers’ responsiveness, or what she called maternal sensitivity: "The accurate interpretation and prompt and appropriate responsiveness to the full range (from overt to subtle) of an infant's signals and communications (Dawson, 2018). Sensitive interactions over time create a relationship between the caregiver and infant that gives the infant a secure base: a sense of stability and safety, both signs of secure attachment, in stressful situations with which to explore their surroundings. Ainsworth observed this positive correlation between maternal sensitivity and secure attachment in both America and Uganda, suggesting that the process of forming, and likely the need for, secure attachments transcend cultural differences (Dawson, 2018).
While a child’s style of attachment was important to identify, it was tedious to do so. Bowlby collected data through clinical research on separations from the mother and poor mother-child relationships (Van Rosmalen et al., 2015). Clinical research was, however, time-consuming. Ainsworth and Bowbly needed a procedure that would quickly analyze the caregiver-child relationship. Ainsworth created this efficient alternative, the Strange Situation Procedure, for her Baltimore Study (Van Rosmalen et al., 2015).
The Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) takes place in a laboratory setting. The assessment is divided into eight episodes and has three components. A primary caregiver and their child are instructed to play in a new setting (the laboratory playroom). A stranger (research assistant) eventually enters the room: the cue for the caregiver to leave. The child is left alone with the stranger until the caregiver re-enters, and then the stranger leaves. Next, the caregiver exits, leaving only the child in the room. In the last episodes of the SSP, the stranger re-enters for the final time, followed by the caregiver’s return. The SSP is recorded on film to code the child's behavior (Van Rosmalen et al., 2015). During the child's reunification with their caregiver, their behavior is analyzed to determine their attachment style. Ainsworth determined three attachment styles from the SSP: secure, ambivalent-insecure, and avoidant-insecure (Cherry, 2023). With Ainsworth's SSP, psychologists Mary Main and Judith Solomon researched a fourth attachment style: disorganized-insecure. (Cherry, 2023).
The SSP is not without its faults. Chiefly, critics suggest that attachment cannot only be based on behavior upon reunification and separation from caregiver to child (Lee, 2003). The SSP is also criticized for its cultural limitations, as it was created through Ainsworth’s study of American children. Historically, the SSP’s use has been kept to the evaluation of mother-child attachments, overlooking the other attachment figures an infant has. This narrow aspect of research may demonstrate a cultural bias: "Many people who study attachment come from industrialized societies where mothers usually bear most of the responsibility for infant care," (Dewar, 2018). In Ainsworth’s defense, the SSP was not to be a stand-alone assessment; rather, it was meant to be combined with naturalistic behavior observations and other strategies to determine attachment styles (Spies & Duschinsky, 2021).
Why highlight Ainsworth and her creation of the SSP despite its flaws? Ainsworth may be listed as being the 97th most influential psychologist in 2002 (American Psychological Association, 2002), but "little equivalent attempt has been made to claim Ainsworth in published writings or undertake trainings in her measures and receive enculturation in related tacit knowledge," (Spies & Duschinsky, 2021). While Bowlby has been extensively credited for his developmental and social psychology work, Ainsworth has not received the same treatment. Ainsworth’s assessment and her legacy are just as important to developmental psychology.
References
American Psychological Association. (2002, August). Eminent psychologists of the 20th century. Https://Www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug02/eminent
Arcus, D. (n.d.). Mary Ainsworth. Psychology.jrank.org. https://psychology.jrank.org/pages/20/Mary-Ainsworth.html
Bretherton, I. (2013). Revisiting Mary Ainsworth’s conceptualization and assessments of maternal sensitivity-insensitivity. Attachment & Human Development, 15(5-6), 460–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2013.835128
Cherry, K. (2019, April 21). A Biography of Mary Ainsworth. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/mary-ainsworth-biography-2795501
Cherry, K. (2023, February 22). How attachment theory works. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337#:~:text=Attachment%20is%20an%20emotional%20bond
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, September 23). What’s Your Attachment Style? Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/attachment-theory-and-attachment-styles
Dawson, N. K. (2018). From Uganda to Baltimore to Alexandra Township: How far can Ainsworth’s theory stretch? South African Journal of Psychiatry, 24. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v24i0.1137
Dewar, G. (2018, January 2). The Strange Situation test: Is your child securely attached? PARENTING SCIENCE. https://parentingscience.com/strange-situation/
Duschinsky, R. (2020). Mary Ainsworth and the Strange Situation Procedure. Cornerstones of Attachment Research, 109-C2.T2. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780198842064.003.0002
Flaherty, S. C., & Sadler, L. S. (2011). A Review of Attachment Theory in the Context of Adolescent Parenting. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 25(2), 114–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2010.02.005
GoodTherapy. (2018, March 2). Mary Ainsworth Biography. Www.goodtherapy.org. https://goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/mary-ainsworth.html
Lee, E. J. (2003, December). Review and Criticisms of Attachment Theory. Personalityresearch.org. http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/lee.html
Linfield, R. (1973). Mary Ainsworth (center) playing with a child [Photograph]. In http://jhir.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/56103.
McLeod, S. (2024, January 17). Mary Ainsworth: Strange Situation Experiment & Attachment Theory. Simplypsychology.org. https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html
Spies, R., & Duschinsky, R. (2021). Inheriting mary ainsworth and the strange situation: Questions of legacy, authority, and methodology for contemporary developmental attachment researchers. SAGE Open, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211047577
Van Rosmalen, L., Van der Veer, R., & Van der Horst, F. (2015). AINSWORTH’S STRANGE SITUATION PROCEDURE: THE ORIGIN OF AN INSTRUMENT. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 51(3), 261–284. https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbs.21729
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