Development and attachment
Mary Ainsworth
1913–1999
A short biography
The developmental psychologist Ainsworth studied infant–caregiver relationships through observation. She contributed to the empirical study of attachment and the development of the Strange Situation procedure.
Ainsworth studied caregiver–child relationships using naturalistic and structured observations. Connecting this work with Bowlby’s theory helped examine attachment through observable interaction.
What does this figure represent in psychology?
She represents the systematic observation of close relationships and the investigation of attachment patterns.
The Strange Situation examines behaviour during separation and reunion. A secure base connects exploration with seeking proximity. Observational classifications should not become fixed adult labels, predictions of destiny or tools for blaming parents.
Key concepts
Secure base: using an available caregiver while exploring. Reunion: observing interaction after separation.
A question for the reader
How does classification within an observation differ from a lifelong label?
Selected works and publications
- Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange SituationEdition details at sourceM. D. S. Ainsworth, M. C. Blehar, E. Waters, S. Wall
Links lead to original texts, institutional catalogues or publication records; not every link provides a free full text. Work titles are retained in their original or established language.
Reading in context
Research attachment classifications should not be used online to assign permanent personality labels to yourself or others.
Sources
Source check: 16 October 2026. Institutional biographies and accessible bibliographic records were consulted; some records were checked through indexed summaries. Complete works were not all read. Concept connections and questions were written for this collection.