Final answer:
Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation is an experimental procedure used to identify different attachment styles between infants and their caregivers, such as secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganized attachment, based on the child's responses to separation and reunion with the caregiver.
Step-by-step explanation:
The experimental procedure Mary Ainsworth used to classify attachment patterns of infants is called a) The strange situation.
Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation procedure was designed to observe attachment relationships between a caregiver and child. This structured observational research involved a series of phases where a caregiver and an infant interact in a room filled with toys, experiencing the entrance of a stranger, the separation from the caregiver, and the subsequent reunion. Ainsworth identified several attachment styles such as secure, avoidant, resistant, and later, disorganized, which were discerned based on the child's response to these events, particularly the reunion with the caregiver.
Secure attachment, the most common and considered healthiest, is characterized by children seeking comfort from their caregivers when distressed and being able to explore their environment when their caregivers are present. In contrast, resistant attachment is marked by clingy behavior and a difficulty in being comforted upon reunion, often due to inconsistent caregiver responsiveness. Disorganized attachment is often found in children who have experienced abuse, demonstrated by erratic or freezing behaviors upon the caregiver's return.