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AINSWORTH'S STRANGE SITUATION PROCEDURE: THE ORIGIN OF AN INSTRUMENT

2015; Wiley; Volume: 51; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/jhbs.21729

1520-6696

Lenny van Rosmalen, René van der Veer, Frank C. P. van der Horst,

Social Representations and Identity

Journal of the History of the Behavioral SciencesVolume 51, Issue 3 p. 261-284 Original Article AINSWORTH'S STRANGE SITUATION PROCEDURE: THE ORIGIN OF AN INSTRUMENT Lenny Van Rosmalen, Lenny Van RosmalenSearch for more papers by this authorRené Van der Veer, René Van der VeerSearch for more papers by this authorFrank Van der Horst, Frank Van der HorstSearch for more papers by this author Lenny Van Rosmalen, Lenny Van RosmalenSearch for more papers by this authorRené Van der Veer, René Van der VeerSearch for more papers by this authorFrank Van der Horst, Frank Van der HorstSearch for more papers by this author First published: 19 May 2015 https://doi.org/10.1002/jhbs.21729Citations: 19Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat 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. References Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1962). The effects of maternal deprivation: A review of findings and controversy in the context of research strategy. Deprivation of maternal care: A measurement of its effects (Vol. 14). Geneva: World Health Organization. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1963). The development of infant-mother interaction among the Ganda. Determinants of Infant Behavior, 2, 67–112. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1964). Patterns of attachment behavior shown by the infant in interaction with his mother. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly of Behavior and Development, 10, 51–58. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1967). 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