Interactivity: experiments and narrative
Mary Ainsworth devised a research procedure to study the way infants are attached to their mothers. The basic aim is to observe how children between 12 and 24 months respond to a stranger when they are with their mothers, when left alone and when they are reunited with their mothers. It is a widely used method, although not without its critics.
Ainsworth developed a systematic procedure, the Strange Situation Procedure or SSP, to activate an infant's attachment system in a gradual manner by placing them under situations of increasing stress. The system involved 7 distinct 3 minute episodes, with a gradual increase of stress upon the infant's attachment system.
As the stress increases the attachment system becomes more dominant and the other behavioural systems, for example, for play or learning, become less active, until the infant feels sufficiently safe and secure for the attachment system to switch off again.
Mary Ainsworth's experiment, click the buttons in order to recreate Mary's attachment experiment. This experiment is designed to place stress on the infant's attachment to their carer.
Step 1: Carer and infant are alone.
The infant is free to explore. The room has lots of toys. The unfamiliarity of the room will begin to activate the infant's attachment system.
Step 2: An adult stranger enters and stays for 3 minutes;
Minute 1: reads quietly in a chair
Minute 2: talks to the carer
Minute 3: plays with infant
Step 3: The carer leaves.
The carer says goodbye to the infant and leaves them alone with the stranger for up to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Reunion 1.
The carer returns and the stranger leaves unobtrusively. The carer stays with the infant for 3 minutes.
Step 5: Separation.
The carer leaves and the infant is left alone for up to 3 minutes.
Step 6: Stranger returns. The stranger comes into the room with the infant for up to another 3 minutes.
Step 7. Reunion 2.
Finally, the carer returns having been away for up to 6 minutes and the stranger leaves unobtrusively.
