What I have found particularly interesting is the work conducted by Mary Ainsworth, through her 'strange situation' procedure she was able to conclude three types of infants. The 'strange situation' was an experiment in which a stranger would enter the room with the mother and infant, then the mother would leave leaving the stranger alone with the infant, the infants behaviour was then observed and then the mother would return. She argued that the type and quality of attachment between the mother and child is dependent on the mother’s behaviour so that when an infant became securely attached it would be due to the mother being sensitive to its wants and needs.
In middle class US samples around 65% of infants were securely attached to the mother. She used these results to conclude that there are different types of attachments and that it is dependent upon the mother’s sensitivity and responsiveness to the child. Below shows the different attachment types:
Ainsworth's results revolutionised the approach many psychologists had on child attachment, as after this experiment psychologists would classify infants into one of these three categories from their own experiments. One major flaw however, is that it is culturally relative, it depends upon the culture as work by Izjendoorn would suggest. Note that she claims 65% of US infants were securely attached to the mother, surely this can't be said universally?
