Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure: The Origin of an Instrument

Abstract

The American-Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999) developed the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to measure mother-child attachment and attachment theorists have used it ever since. When Ainsworth published the first results of the SSP in 1969, it seemed a completely novel and unique instrument. However, in this paper we will show that the SSP had many precursors and that the road to such an instrument was long and winding. Our analysis of hitherto little-known studies on children in strange situations allowed us to compare these earlier attempts with the SSP. We argue that it was the combination of Ainsworth's working experience with William Blatz and John Bowlby, her own research in Uganda and Baltimore, and the strong connection of the SSP with attachment theory, that made the SSP differ enough from the other strange situation studies to become one of the most widely used instruments in developmental psychology today.

Early screening for protective and risk factors—Polish adaptation of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment

“…These ratings are prone to rater and situational bias. Therefore, it might be a good idea to compare DECA results with other data from nonquestionnaire measures, like social games and experiments or clinical and systematic observation (e,g., Gardner, 2000; Kurt, 2019; Sandler et al, 2003; Santamaría‐García et al, 2018; Van Rosmalen et al, 2015). Nevertheless, there are scarce evidence from studies that address the problem of children mental resilience in this way.…”

CORNERSTONES OF ATTACHMENT RESEARCHRobbie DuschinskyOxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2020. 640pp. $65.00 (hardcover). ISBN: 978‐0‐19‐884206‐4.

“…After the initial formulation, the work of new generations of attachment researchers has turned attachment theory into a major theory in psychology. With the ascendance of such a grand theory, historians of science over time reflect on its development: "Work to document the emergence of Bowlby and Ainsworth's research by academic historians began in the late 1990s and remains thriving today" (p. xi), more specifically on the psychoanalytic and etiological roots of attachment theory (Karen, 1994;Van der Horst, 2011;Van Dijken, 1998) and the specific contributions of Ainsworth and their origins in the work of Canadian psychologist William Blatz (Van Rosmalen et al, 2016, 2015.…”

Capturing the voices of mothers: Delivery and content efficacy of a community attachment parenting program

“…In his seminal work, Bowlby purported that a child's relational encounters with caregivers significantly informs mental health and the developmental trajectory into adulthood (Bowlby, 1988; 2005; Powell et al, 2016; Schore, 2001; J. Siegel & Bryson, 2011; Zeanah & Zeanah, 2009). Building upon this theoretical posture, Ainsworth and colleagues formulated the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) in 1969 as a means to classify attachment patterns of child/parent dyads (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970; Bowlby, 1988; Main, 2000; Powell et al, 2016; van Rosmalen et al, 2015; Zeanah et al, 2011). Foundational to both seminal and present SSP underpinnings is the supposition that response of the young child, a reunion with their caregiver, denotes security or insecurity within the relationship (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970; Goldberg, 2000; Powell et al, 2016).…”