Understanding Mary Ainsworth's Attachment Styles

Who was Mary Ainsworth?

• A British physicist known for her work on gravity

• A developmental psychologist famous for her research on attachment

• A mathematician who developed calculus

• A chemist who discovered penicillin

What is the name of the experiment Mary Ainsworth designed to study attachment in children?

• The Little Albert Experiment

• The Strange Situation

• The Stanford Prison Experiment

• The Visual Cliff Experiment

Which of the following is NOT one of the main attachment styles identified by Mary Ainsworth?

• Secure attachment

• Insecure-avoidant attachment

• Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) attachment

• Disorganised attachment

• Authoritarian attachment

In the Strange Situation, how does a securely attached child typically react when their caregiver returns after a brief separation?

• Ignores the caregiver

• Seeks comfort and is easily soothed

• Shows no reaction

• Becomes aggressive

Which attachment style is characterised by a child avoiding or ignoring their caregiver upon reunion?

• Secure attachment

• Insecure-avoidant attachment

• Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) attachment

• Disorganised attachment

A child who is very distressed when the caregiver leaves, but is not easily comforted upon their return, is displaying which attachment style?

• Secure attachment

• Insecure-avoidant attachment

• Insecure-resistant (ambivalent) attachment

• Disorganised attachment

Which of the following best describes the behaviour of a child with disorganised attachment in the Strange Situation?

• Consistently seeks comfort from the caregiver

• Shows clear preference for the caregiver over strangers

• Displays confused or contradictory behaviours

• Ignores both caregiver and stranger

Mary Ainsworth’s research on attachment styles primarily focused on which age group?

• Teenagers (13-18 years)

• Infants (12-18 months)

• Adults (18+ years)

• Children (6-10 years)

Which of the following statements about secure attachment is TRUE according to Ainsworth’s findings?

• Securely attached children are indifferent to their caregiver’s presence

• Securely attached children use their caregiver as a secure base to explore their environment

• Securely attached children avoid all social interaction

• Securely attached children are always anxious

Mary Ainsworth’s work on attachment styles has had a significant impact on which field?

• Astronomy

• Developmental psychology

• Organic chemistry

• Civil engineering