Mary Ainsworth was born in Ohio in 1913 and became interested in psychology after reading a book by William McDougall. She studied psychology at the University of Toronto and later moved to London with her husband. While in England, Ainsworth joined a research team investigating the effects of maternal separation on child development. She later devised the Strange Situation procedure to observe attachment relationships between caregivers and children. Ainsworth's major works focused on patterns of attachment and she is renowned for her influential body of research explaining differences in individual attachment.

1. Mary Ainsworth
QuickTimeª and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Mary D. Salter Ainsworth was born in Ohio, 1913.
Mary first came interested in Psychology when she read Character
and Conduct of life by William McDougall.
Ainsworth enrolled in a Psychology program at the University of
Toronto in 1929, She married Leonard Ainsworth in 1050 and
moved to London to allow him to finish his graduate degree at
University.
While in England, Ainsworth joined the research team at Tavistock
Clinic investigating the effects of maternal separation on child
development. In 1954, she left Tavistock Clinic to do research in
Africa, where she carried out her longitudinal field study of mother-
infant interaction.
In the 1960s, Ainsworth devised a procedure, called A Strange
Situation, to observe attachment relationships between a caregiver
and child.
Mary Ainsworth provided the most famous body of research
offering explanations to individual’s attachment and differences.
Major works
• Ainsworth, M. and Bowlby, J. (1965). Child Care and the
Growth of Love. London: Penguin Books.
• Ainsworth, M. (1967). Infancy in Uganda. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins.
• Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978).
Patterns of Attachment. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
• Secure attachment
• Anxious-ambivalent insecure attachment

2. • Anxious-avoidant insecure attachment
• Disorganized/disoriented attachment
• Critique of the Strange Situation Protocol