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Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and later expanded by Mary Ainsworth, explores the deep emotional bonds that form between children and their primary caregivers. It emphasizes that early interactions with caregivers shape a child’s sense of security and influence their social, emotional, and cognitive development. According to the theory, a secure attachment characterized by consistent, responsive, and nurturing care - lays the foundation for healthy relationships and emotional regulation throughout life. In contrast, insecure attachments may lead to difficulties in trust, behavior, and emotional well-being. Attachment theory has become a cornerstone in understanding child development, parenting, and educational practices.
4. Mary Ainsworth and the strange situation
The strange situation is a psychological observation technique devised by Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s to observe attachment in children with their caregiver, which seemed a completely novel and unique instrument. It applies to children between the age of 9 and 30 months and were originally categorized under four attachment styles: secure, anxious-insecure, avoidant-insecure, and disorganized-insecure. Depending upon how the children are attached to their parents, they would act in predictable ways in the strange situation experiment.
Mary Ainsworth explained the four types of attachment as follows (Shemmings, 2011; Brown and Ward, 2013):
• Secure attachment
• Insecure avoidant attachment
• Insecure ambivalent attachment
• Disorganised attachment
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