Mary Ainsworth Christina Grantham MCED 7312 Theorist Presentation July 2, 2013

Background Information Born in 1913, in Glendale, Ohio Family moved to Toronto, Canada in 1918 At a visit to the local library, young Ainsworth picked up Character and the Conduct of Life (1927) by William McDougall. This spurred her interest in psychology, and ultimately, her distinguished career She enrolled at the University of Toronto in 1929 and was one of four to graduate with honors in the field of psychology In 1939, upon completing her Ph.D., she was offered a position at Queen’s University in Ontario. Although she did not want the position, the head of the psychology department chose her. In what she claims as the only case of gender discrimination throughout her career, she was told two weeks after being hired that the university Senate refused to appoint a woman to the position She joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps in 1942, during World War II, where she administered tests, interviewed, took histories, and counseled for four years, then returning to the University of Toronto to work as an assistant professor in introductory psychology, experimental psychology, and personality assessment Two years later, in 1950, she married Leonard Ainsworth, a graduate student

Accomplishments Ainsworth and husband moved to London, England, where she joined the research team at Tavistock Clinic. Here, she met John Bowlby, the project director This began her research project investigating the effects of maternal separation on children’s personality development and the interactions of mothers and their infants After conducting a field study in Africa on this interaction, her data was published and she became a faculty member at John Hopkins University Ainsworth and Bowlby continued work in the attachment theory project, where she was included in the Tavistock Mother-Infant Interaction Study Group She became a fellow of the American Psychological Association from , and was a member of the British Psychological Association; the Eastern Psychological Association; and the President of the Society for Research in Child Development from She received many awards, including the G. Stanley Hall Award for APA in developmental psychology; the award for Distinguished Professional Contribution to Knowledge from APA; and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution award from APA She published many articles and books, including Child Care and the Growth of Love, 1965; Infancy in Uganda, 1967; and Patterns of Attachment, 1978 She received the Gold Metal for Scientific Contributions from the American Psychological Foundation in 1998 Ainsworth continued work as Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia from 1984 – 1999, the year of her passing

Attachment Theory Ainsworth focused her studies on the attachment theory, collaborating with John Bowlby. The theory explains how much a parents’ relationship with their child influences social and emotional development The “Strange Situation” is the procedure involved in the theory, observing and assessing the quality of attachment in relationships between a caregiver and child, particularly the mother and child In the procedure, the child is observed playing for twenty minutes while caregivers and strangers enter and leave the room, creating a flow of familiar and unfamiliar faces for the child It is arranged so that (1) the parent and infant are introduced to the room; (2) the parent and infant are left alone and the infant plays and explores without participation from parent; (3) a stranger enters, converses with the parent and approaches the infant while the parent leaves inconspicuously; (4) the first separation episode: the stranger adjusts his behavior to that of the infant; (5) the first reunion episode: the parent greets and comforts the infant, then leaves again; (6) second separation episode: the infant is left alone; (7) continuation of second separation: the stranger enters again and adjusts his behavior to that of the infant; (8) the second reunion episode: the parent enters, greets the infant and picks him/her up; the stranger leaves inconspicuously

The Attachment Theory and Strange Situation Findings During the study, two aspects of the child’s behavior are observed: the amount of exploration and play the child engages in during the time period, and the child’s reaction to the departure and return of his caregiver Successful outcomes are defined as secure attachment, meaning a child who is securely attached to its caregiver will explore freely while the parent is present, will engage with strangers, will be visibly upset when the caregiver departs, and happy to see the caregiver return. The child will not engage with the stranger if the caregiver is not in the room Unsuccessful outcomes are defined as anxious-ambivalent insecure attachment, meaning the child being anxious of exploration and strangers, even when the caregiver is present. When the caregiver departs, the child is extremely distressed. The child will be ambivalent when she returns and will seek to remain close to the caregiver, but will be resentful and resistant when the caregiver gives affection or attention. The second uncesseful outcome is defined as anxious-avoidant insecure attachment, meaning that the child will ignore or avoid the caregiver and show little emotion when the caregiver departs or returns. The child does little exploring, regardless of who is there, and strangers will not be treated very differently from the caregiver. There is not much emotional range displayed.

Secure AttachmentAmbivalent AttachmentAvoidant Attachment Separation Anxiety Distressed when mother leaves. Infant shows signs of intense distress when mother leaves. Infant shows no sign of distress when mother leaves. Stranger Anxiety Avoidant of stranger when alone but friendly when mother present. Infant avoids the stranger - shows fear of stranger. Infant is okay with the stranger and plays normally when stranger is present. Reunion behavior Positive and happy when mother returns. Child approaches mother but resists contact, may even push her away. Infant shows little interest when mother returns. Other Will use the mother as a safe base to explore their environment. Infant cries more and explores less than the other 2 types. Mother and stranger are able to comfort infant equally well. % of infants7015 Attachment Styles

Attachment Theory: So What? Through Ainsworth’s and Bowlby’s work, research has shown that children who do not form secure attachment early in life can have a negative impact on behavior during childhood and school years Children who are diagnosed with conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and oppositional-defiant disorder frequently display attachment problems, possibly due to abuse or neglect as an infant Children who exhibit secure attachment have higher self-esteem, strong relationships, and the ability to self-disclose to others. These children relate to their peers in school, while avoidant or ambivalent attached children tend to victimize peers or be victimized by their peers As educators, it is important to know that our students may struggle with self-esteem and behavioral issues because of their attachment styles. We should be supportive of all our students and cognizant of their early childhood upbringing and development