Final answer:
Securely attached children will use the mother as a home base and seek comfort from her upon return in the Strange Situation experiment.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation experiment, securely attached children are those who use their mother or primary caregiver as a "home base" to explore their environment and seek comfort in times of stress. Securely attached children were distressed when their caregivers left the room in the Strange Situation experiment, but when their caregivers returned, the securely attached children were happy to see them. When a caregiver leaves the room during the experiment, securely attached children show distress, but upon the caregiver's return, they demonstrate happiness and are easily comforted. The characteristic behavior of securely attached children in Ainsworth's study is that, despite momentarily experiencing distress due to the caregiver's absence, they feel assured enough to explore when the caregiver is present and to look for comfort upon their return.