Mary Ainsworth

When leading many introductions on the history of psychological science it is noticed there are very few young-bearing(prenominal)s mentioned. That does not fuddled women are not attri thated to making significant impacts in the originatement of psychology. The contributions of many of psychologys most eminent female thinkers have long been ignored, but that is starting to change as more history texts begin to have intercourse women such as Karen Horney, bloody shame Ainsworth, Leta Hollingworth, and Christine Ladd-Franklin in their pages. These women are just a few who have do tremendous contributions and marks on psychology.The background, theoretical approach, and contributions of Mary Ainsworth are very significant to the field psychology even still today. Time line/Background of Mary Ainsworth Mary Ainsworth was born in celestial latitude 1913 in Glendale, Ohio. She was the oldest of three girls in 1918 her family relocated to Toronto Canada, and gained their citizenshi p. In her household education and studies were noted to be important. When she was fifteen, she read William McDougalls book Character and the Conduct of Life, which inspired her lifelong interest in psychology (OConnell, 1983).In 1929 Ainsworth attended instruction at the University of Toronto she was one of only quadruplet students to finish the honors degree program in psychology. At the clock time her father decided it would be outmatch for her to become a stenographer, but he was still validatory of her pursuit of graduate work in psychology. In 1939Mary Ainsworth was a recent Ph. D. graduate. She wanted to stay at the University of Toronto, and she fascinated the head of the psychology department. However, she was not selected for a position because the University Senate refused to appoint a female.In 1942 Ainsworth joined the Canadian Womens Army Corp, and after serving as a counselor in the Army for four historic period, she came back to the University of Toronto and g ained the position assistant professor. She got engaged to Leonard Ainsworth a graduate student, and they married in 1950. It was difficult working(a) as assistant professor on the faculty where her husband was a pupil so both moved to London, England. Mary Ainsworth was selected for a research position at the Tavistock Clinic under psychiatrist John Bowlby.Bowlbys research of the effects of separation of kidskinren from their drives/caregivers served as a predecessor of Ainsworths earlier work on the security theory. In 1953 Leonard Ainsworth was interested in sacking to Africa. Mary Ainsworth could find employment as a research psychologist at the East African work of Social Research in Kampala, Uganda. She conducted a short-term naturalistic content of the mother-infant relationship and published the results.Two years later Mary landed a position as a lecturer in Baltimore, Maryland, at John Hopkins. Not only did she lecture, and supervise students, she set up a private p ractice dedicated to children. In 1960 because of divorce Ainsworth became very depressed. In 1963, one year after starting the research she is best known for she became a full professor. In1975 Ainsworth left Hopkins for a professor position at the University of Virginia. She taught there until her retreat in 1984. She remained active in her profession until 1992.The American Psychological Foundation awarded her the Gold Medal face for life achievement in the science of psychology from. In 1999 Mary Ainsworth passed at the age of 86, she neer had any children but her major contributions were in study of children. Theoretical Perspective of Mary Ainsworth Bowlby and Ainsworth worked together to develop the attachment theory and research. The distinguishing characteristic of the theory of attachment that we have jointly developed is that it is an ethological approach to spirit ontogenesis.Although they had separate approaches to understanding personality development, they worked together each adding different ideas and perspectives. In Uganda Ainsworth spent time doing research on mother child interactions. At the same time she teaching and lecturing about psychology at John Hopkins, Mary Ainsworth began work to create a test to measure attachments between mothers and caregivers, and their children. Here she developed the Strange Situations assessment. Children ages 12 months-18 months were observed during the assessment.A researcher watched a childs reaction when he or she was briefly left alone in an unfamiliar room. all-important(prenominal) information was revealed during the separation and upon the mothers/caregivers return. Based on her observations, Ainsworth concluded that there are three main attachment styles. The three main attachment styles are secure, anxious- avoidant, and anxious tolerant. Because her initial finding, her work has spawned numerous studies into the nature of attachment and the different attachment styles that exist between c hildren and caregivers.Mary Ainsworths contributions to psychology Significant contributions to the science of psychology have been made by Mary Ainsworth with her Strange Situations assessment. afterwards the research she concluded the main attachment styles are secure, anxious-avoidant, and anxious-resistant. She set a platform and many others currently followed. Her controversial research on attachment played an important role in understanding the development of children.In 1986 researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth attachment style disorganized-insecure. There are numerous studies that support Ainsworths research. Additional research has also shown early attachment styles can help predict behaviors later in life. Mary Ainsworths research and contributions are still important to the study of psychology today. Conclusion Mary Ainsworth knew her work was debatable and could be understood by some in the womens movement as a order to mothers to stay home with their children i n their early age.And while I evince the importance of a secure attachment between infant and caregiver, and that full-time mothering may be the normal way of ensuring a secure attachment, she did not deny that alternative arrangements were possible. She said, Had I myself had the children for whom I vainly longed, I like to believe I could have arrived at some satisfactory combination of mothering and a career, but I do not believe that there is any universal, easy, ready-made solution to the problem (Ainsworth, 1983. p. 216).With tables crook and the contributions of psychologys most prominent female theorist being added to text books students will study more about the contributions of Mary Ainsworth. Her background, significant contributions, and theoretical approach are vital still today. numerous psychology researchers use the Strange Situation assessment as a basis for analysis on child development research. Mary Ainsworth lived 86 years and most of her life was spent rese arching, lecturing, teaching, and observing in the psychology field.