Mr Vance runs a parent-child playgroup for toddlers aged between 9 months and 3 years. Over several terms, he has observed distinct differences in how the children behave when their primary caregivers leave the room briefly and when they return.
He has noted that some children cry intensely when their parent leaves, but when the parent returns, they seek contact while simultaneously showing anger, such as pushing away offered toys and resisting comfort. Other children show very little distress when their parent departs and actively ignore or avoid them upon their return, continuing to focus on the play materials. Mr Vance has also observed that the parents show varying levels of responsiveness to their children's signals during play sessions.
Evaluate Ainsworth’s classification of attachment types in relation to the toddlers at the playgroup.
You must make reference to the context in your answer.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Bowlby's work on attachment, Ainsworth and the Strange Situation, Research into deprivation, Research into privation, Research into day care, Cross-cultural research into attachment, Autism, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
