Stranger situation procedure

• Aim

  To measure the security of attachment a child shows towards their caregiver
• Real procedure 

  step 1 : Beginning child and caregiver enter unfamiliar room

  Step 2: caregiver sits and reads magazine. Infant is encouraged to play

  Step 3: stranger enters and tries to interact with infant

  Step 4: caregiver leaves and stranger interacts with infant

  Step 5: caregiver return and stranger leaves

  Step 6: caregiver leaves child alone

  Step 7: stranger returns and tries to interact with child

  Step 8: caregiver returns and is reunited with the child 
• • Sample of 106 middle class infants 9-18 months and mothers, mother-child dyads ( 9 months can start crawling)
• • Controlled observation consisted of 8 distinct parts lasted about 3 minutes 
• • used a structured observation
• • Reunions were important to focus on observing babies response to mother when they returned, from reaction on reunions the baby was classified into one of three attachment types
• • Mother was in control so length of steps could be cut shorter or stop the procedure at any time
• • Observer looked at proximity and contact seeking, maintenance of contact, avoiding contact and proximity and resisting contact and comfort
  • Looked at moving around room and exploring, searched for behaviour and emotional indicators such as crying
• • Time sampling was involved noting behaviour every 15 seconds
• Type b securely

  • attached child will be distressed when left with stranger, go to mother for comfort when they return, uses mother as a safe base from which to explore, mothers of securely attached children responds sensitively to their child’s needs
• Type a insecure avoidant 

  • leads children to not be upset when left alone, they are indifferent or avoid mother o her return, show strong anxiety, children who are insecure avoidant often do not have their needs met by caregiver 
• Type c insecure resistant

  • children tend to stay close to their mother rather than explore surroundings, children get very upset when mother leaves but resist any comfort from her when she returns. High stranger anxiety. A parent who causes their baby to feel angry and confused can cause insecure resistant attachment to baby.
• Results:

  Found three patterns of attachment

  Securely attached type b : 66%

  Insecure avoidant type a : 22%

  Insecure resistant type c : 12%