Which of the following best describes Mary Ainsworth's contribution to the study of attachment in psychology?

• A. She proposed the hierarchy of needs theory.
• B. She was the first to describe operant conditioning.
• C. She developed the Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment styles in infants.
• D. She introduced the concept of classical conditioning.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the question, which is about Mary Ainsworth's contribution to attachment theory in psychology.
2. Step 2: Recall that Mary Ainsworth is known for her empirical work on attachment, particularly through an observational method she developed.
3. Step 3: Identify that the Strange Situation procedure is a structured observational assessment designed by Ainsworth to study how infants respond to separations and reunions with their caregiver.
4. Step 4: Recognize that this procedure helped classify different attachment styles, such as secure, avoidant, and resistant attachment.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct description of Ainsworth's contribution is that she developed the Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment styles in infants.