With great determination, Mary Ainsworth made her way in a field dominated by men. This brave woman challenged the established canons.
Their work, inside and outside of academia, was fundamental to the fight in search of equality. He stood out widely among his male colleagues, generating knowledge that even today is of great importance for the understanding of the human mind and the development of personality and behavior.
And it was not enough for Mary Ainsworth to train as a psychologist in a difficult historical moment for women, but she also managed to become one of the most important researchers in the field of human behavior.
Origin
Mary Ainsworth was born December 1, 1913 in Glendale, Ohio. She began her life in the United States, but years later she moved to Canada, where she settled with her family.
There he developed as a psychology professional and began his research which, even today, continues to be of great importance for understanding the development of individuals and even for explaining the appearance of some mental disorders.
If you value articles like this, consider supporting us by becoming a Pro subscriber. Subscribers enjoy access to members-only articles, materials, and webinars.
Personal life
Mary Ainsworth dedicated an important part of her life to studies, however, her life was full of courage and bravery. An example of this is that, upon completing her studies and obtaining her doctorate in developmental psychology, she joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps.
Being a strong and determined woman, she had a fruitful career in the army, becoming a Major. In 1950 she married Leonard Ainsworth, and together they decided to move to London, where she began working alongside John Bowlby, a leading psychiatrist at the Tavistock Institute.
Together they began one of the most important investigations in relation to the experiences of children when separated from their caregivers or attachment figures, which would give rise to theories that today have great importance and validity in the field of psychology.
Her personal and family life led her to move to Uganda in 1953, where she continued the studies she had begun in London years before, this time in Kampal, at the African Institute for Social Research in the region. There she had a long career and then returned to her native United States, where she worked for years at the John Hopkins Institute.
After a lifetime dedicated to research, she died at the age of 86 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, in 1999. She left one of the most important legacies in terms of developmental psychology.
Studies
Those of John Bowlby in relation to attachment theory, in which he proposes an (innate) behavior in children, of an exploratory nature, were the fundamental basis for the work of Mary Ainsworth.
Types of attachment
Bowlby’s research suggests that in any threatening situation, the child immediately turns to his caregiver for safety, but Mary Ainsworth went further by adding a third person to the equation.
The results obtained allowed him to identify 3 different types of attachment:
secure attachment
It is generated when the bond between the caregiver and the child generates the feeling of being protected and feeling loved, even when they are absent, because they trust that they will return.
Insecure-avoidant attachment
In this case, children respond to separation from their caregiver with high levels of distress, which can be explained by limited availability on the part of the maternal figure or whoever is in charge of their care.
Insecure-ambivalent attachment
When there is no consistency on the part of the caregiver and the child’s needs are neglected, this type of attachment occurs, where distrust becomes part of the child and even eventually stops seeking help.
The strange situation
Mary Ainsworth wanted to study the types of attachment in more detail and for this she created an experiment called ‘The Strange Situation’. This experiment consists of studying the reactions of children (around 1 year old) in the absence of the mother and the presence of a stranger.
For this, 3 different situations are simulated:
- The mother or caregiver interacts with the child along with toys.
- The caretaker leaves and a stranger enters.
- He is briefly separated from the caregiver and the stranger enters briefly.
When the caregiver returned, the children’s reaction was evaluated, showing that in cases of secure attachment, crying was present when noticing the caregiver’s absence, but as soon as the caregiver returned, they sought comfort from the caregiver.
Mary Ainsworth described that children with avoidant attachment initially cried when the caregiver left, but sometimes they did not and when they returned, they often appeared distant.
Finally, children who showed a type of ambivalent attachment did not stop crying, even when the mother or caregiver re-entered the room, showing fear that they would leave again.
“My advice to mothers is not to miss any opportunity to show affection to their babies. Don’t hesitate to pick up a baby who wants to be held. Don’t feel like you have to limit him, because it’s good for him that you are so attentive, especially during the first year,” says Mary Ainsworth.
Contributions
Mary Ainsworth’s contributions go far beyond the purely investigative, as she was the spokesperson for the importance of developing a healthy relationship with the maternal figure or caregiver for the emotional mental health of a child. She also warned about the impact this would have on her adult life.
She was a key player in raising awareness about jobs through conciliation that allowed women, even today, to be able to develop professionally without having to choose between their career or motherhood.
She was also a visionary, who saw beyond the obvious aspects of the study of psychology, making room for women and their personal development (work and academic) within motherhood.
“There are only two lasting legacies we can leave for our children. One of these are roots, the other, wings.” Hodding Carter
References:
- Ainsworth, M.D.S., & Bell, S.M. (1970). Attachment, exploration, and separation: Illustrated by the behavior of one-year-old children in a strange situation. Child Development, 41, 49-67.
- Ainsworth, MDS, Blehar, MC, Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Bowlby, J. (1980). Loss: Sadness and depression. Attachment and loss (vol. 3); (International Psychoanalytic Library No. 109). London: Hogarth Press.
- Garrido-Rojas, L. (2006). Attachment, emotion and emotional regulation. Implications for health. Latin American Journal of Psychology, vol. 38, no. 3, 2006, pp. 493-507. Konrad Lorenz University Foundation. Bogota Colombia.
- Papalia, D.E., Olds, S.W., Feldman, R.D. (2005). Psychology of development from childhood to adolescence. McGraw-Hill. Madrid.