Ainsworth

Inés Mendoza

MARY AINSWORTH

Childhood/Youth:
She was raised in Canada by college-educated parents who encouraged their daughters' education.
At age 15 she read Character and the Conduct ofLife (McDougall) and she decided to become a psychologist.
Education/Early Research:
Studied at University of Toronto-PhD in 1939 she worked with Blatz-his "security theory" basis for herdissertation.
Joined Canadian Women's Army Corps and became a major and developed skills in clinical interviewing, history-taking, test administration, counseling...
In 1950 married Leonard Ainsworth and movedwith him to London where she met John Bowlby and worked at the Tavistock Clinic-Robertson's methods observational data in hospitals.
In 1953 went to Uganda-conducted observational study onmother-infant interactions "secure base" support.
In 1955 she became a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University , and in 1958 she became associate professor in developmental psychology.
Worked more closely withBowlby, and their attachment theory was controversial.

Attachment theory:
Attachment is an emotional connection to another person.
Mary Ainsworth, conducted a research initially with Bowlby ofattachment theory, and later on her own. The theory expanded to include three styles of attachment (fourth with be added later). Being sensitive to the needs of a baby, a doctor (usually the mother)creates a feeling of security for the baby. After the child establishes this sense of security, develops a secure base for exploring the world.
The main idea of the attachment theory is that if a doctor(usually a caregiver) is attentive and trustworthy, then the child caregivers will be secure in their environment, and security use of this relationship with a caregiver as a basis from which toexplore the world. After a child has set this primary relationship that is used as a template for other relations.
“The strange situation”
During the 1970s, psychologist Mary Ainsworth carried out more...