Lesson 4.1.3.3

4.1.3.3 Ainsworth's Strange Situation and cultural variations Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.1.3.3, Ainsworth's Strange Situation and cultural variations: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 1: Introductory topics in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which infant behaviour is used most to classify attachment in the Strange Situation?

    • Sleeping behaviour during the day
    • Eating patterns in the home
    • Behaviour during the first meeting with a stranger only
    • Reunion behaviour when the caregiver returns after a separation

  2. Which description best matches secure attachment in Ainsworth's classification?

    • Shows little distress on separation, avoids the caregiver on reunion and explores the room without checking on them
    • Uses the caregiver as a secure base, shows distress on separation and is comforted on reunion
    • Shows no clear reaction to separation or reunion, and seems indifferent to whether the caregiver stays or leaves
    • Shows intense distress on separation, resists comfort on reunion and alternates between clinging and pushing away

  3. Which behaviour typifies insecure-avoidant attachment?

    • Strong distress on separation and difficulty being comforted on reunion
    • Crying continuously throughout the whole procedure
    • Little distress when separated and avoidance of the caregiver on reunion
    • Using the caregiver as a secure base and seeking comfort on reunion

  4. Which description best matches insecure-resistant attachment?

    • Little distress and quick independent play on reunion, with the infant returning to toys as soon as the caregiver arrives
    • Strong distress on separation, with mixed or angry responses on reunion and difficulty being settled
    • Calm exploration with no reaction to the caregiver's departure, and no change of behaviour when the caregiver comes back
    • Immediate friendliness toward the stranger on every reunion, with the infant going to any adult who enters the room

  5. How many separate episodes make up the Strange Situation procedure?

    • Twelve
    • Three
    • Eight
    • Four

  6. What did van Ijzendoorn's cross-cultural research find?

    • Secure attachment was the most common type in most countries, but the distribution varied across cultures
    • Insecure-resistant attachment was the most common type in every country, with secure attachment found in only a few infants
    • Attachment types were identical in all countries with no variation, so culture has no influence on attachment patterns
    • Avoidant attachment was the only type found in non-Western cultures, while all Western infants were classified as secure

  7. Germany has been reported to have a higher proportion of avoidant infants than some other countries. Which explanation is offered?

    • Infants in Germany are genetically more avoidant than infants elsewhere
    • Parenting that encourages independence and discourages clinging
    • The Strange Situation is less reliable in Germany because of language
    • Infants in Germany have more contact with strangers during the test

  8. Japanese infants were reported to show more resistant responses in some studies. Which explanation fits best?

    • Japanese infants have a genetic predisposition for anxiety, which makes separation from any caregiver very distressing
    • Japanese infants always avoid their mothers in the Strange Situation, since the mothers are always very distant in play
    • Infants are rarely separated from their mothers, so separation may be more distressing
    • Japanese infants are not exposed to strangers during the procedure, so the stranger episode is never carried out at all

  9. A 14-month-old becomes very distressed on separation, is not comforted on reunion and keeps moving between seeking and pushing away the caregiver. Which classification is most likely?

    • Imprinted
    • Insecure-avoidant
    • Insecure-resistant
    • Secure

  10. A child shows little distress when the caregiver leaves and ignores the caregiver when they return. Which classification is most likely?

    • Secure
    • Monotropic
    • Insecure-avoidant
    • Insecure-resistant

  11. Which criticism of the Strange Situation is most valid?

    • It is an artificial procedure and may not reflect how infants behave in everyday home life
    • It was tested only on infants older than five years
    • It measures only the infant's eating habits and so cannot assess attachment
    • It has been shown to produce identical results in every laboratory around the world

  12. Which point supports the reliability of the Strange Situation?

    • Every study has classified exactly the same infants in the same way, so the classification has never changed at all
    • It has been replaced by better methods in all countries, so the procedure is no longer used by any researcher today
    • It uses one observer who never checks their results, so no one has ever tested whether the coding is consistent
    • Similar classification proportions have been found across many studies and countries

  13. In a sample of 100 infants, 66 are classified as secure, 20 as avoidant and 14 as resistant. What percentage are classified as insecure?

    • 14 per cent
    • 20 per cent
    • 66 per cent
    • 34 per cent

  14. An infant explores freely with the caregiver present, becomes upset when they leave, and is quickly comforted when they return. Which classification fits best?

    • Insecure-resistant attachment
    • Insecure-avoidant attachment
    • No attachment
    • Secure attachment

  15. Which conclusion about cultural variation in attachment is best supported?

    • Cultural differences have no effect on attachment, so the same classification proportions appear in every country studied
    • Differences between cultures show that some infants are born insecure, with genetic factors fixing their attachment type
    • Insecure attachment is always more common in Western cultures, because parents there are less responsive than parents elsewhere
    • Differences between cultures reflect different child-rearing and social norms, not only differences in the infants

  16. Another name for insecure-resistant attachment is which of these?

    • Secure attachment
    • Avoidant attachment
    • Disorganised attachment
    • Ambivalent attachment

  17. A study finds that insecure-avoidant infants in one culture are typically raised to be more independent. Which conclusion is best supported?

    • Avoidant infants in every culture have the same development
    • Parenting style has no link to attachment in any culture
    • Cultural norms may shape what counts as a typical or healthy attachment pattern
    • Insecure attachment is always a result of poor parenting regardless of culture

  18. Why might a high proportion of resistant infants be found in a culture where separation is rare?

    • Resistant behaviour is genetically linked to living in cultures with many carers, since infants with many carers become anxious
    • Infants who are rarely separated are always secure, because they have never had the experience of being left by anyone
    • Infants who are rarely separated may find each separation more distressing and harder to settle on reunion
    • Resistant infants are more likely to be tested in a noisy setting, and the noise is what makes them upset on reunion

  19. A researcher wants to test whether the Strange Situation measures attachment or temperament. Which design would best address this?

    • Compare the same infants' classifications with their behaviour in everyday home settings over time
    • Ask parents to fill in a questionnaire only, and use their description of the child as the only measure of attachment
    • Compare infants' eating behaviour across two different countries, since feeding patterns show the type of attachment
    • Test a single infant in the procedure and repeat it many times, so that the same child is classified again and again

  20. In a study of 120 infants, 45 per cent were classified as secure. How many infants were secure?

    • 66
    • 45
    • 54
    • 75

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