An Application of ainworths strange situation procedure in assessing the quality of attachment in Turkish infants

Abstract

VI ABSTRACT Main purpose of the present study was to assess the attachment quality of Turkish infants. Attachment quality was assessed by Strange Situation paradigm developed by Ainsworth (1964). Out of twentysix subjects, nineteen of the infants (73%) were securely attached (group B), six of them (23%) insecurely attached-avoidant (group A), one of them (4%) insecurely attached-resistant (group C). The distribution of attachment types of infants was compared with the American (Baltimore) sample of Ainsworth et al. (1978). The two distributions were found to be similar. The second purpose was to test the hypothesis that mothers of insecurely attached infants would have high level of anxiety. Anxiety level of the mothers was assessed by STAI-Trait anxiety questionnaire. This hypothesis was supported. Mothers of insecurely attached infants had higher scores on the anxiety questionnaire than mothers of securely attached infants. Sex and birth order of the children were investigated in terms of their relation with the attachment quality, furthermore, the relationship between timing of maternal return to work and attachment quality was also investigated. The quality of attachment did not seem to be related to any of these variables.