A03

• Point: One strength of the Strange Situation is its predictive validity for various aspects of a baby's later development.

  Evidence: Lots of research indicates that babies classified as Type B (secure) tend to have better outcomes in childhood and adulthood.

  Explain: This includes academic achievement, less involvement in bullying, and better mental health compared to insecure-resistant babies who had the worst outcomes.

  Link: Therefore, this suggests that the Strange Situation effectively captures meaningful aspects of a baby's developmental trajectory.
• Point: However, a counterpoint is that some psychologists question whether the Strange Situation truly measures attachment.

  Evidence: Kagan (1982) proposed that genetically influenced anxiety levels might explain variations in attachment behaviour and later development.

  Explain: This indicates that the Strange Situation may not accurately assess attachment as intended.

  Link: Thus, this raises concerns about the validity of using the Strange Situation as a measure of attachment type.
• Point: Another strength is the good inter-rater reliability of the Strange Situation.

  Evidence: Bick (2012) found a high agreement rate (94%) among trained observers in classifying attachment types using the Strange Situation.

  Explain: This high reliability is likely due to the procedure's controlled conditions and easily observable behaviours, such as crying to indicate anxiety.

  Link: Hence, this shows that attachment classification via the Strange Situation is not subject to individual interpretation, enhancing its credibility as a research tool.
• P: , a :( is its potential lack of validity across different cultural contexts.

  E: The Strange Situation was developed in Britain and US and thus may be culture-bound as babies from other cultures will have different experiences.

  E: Takahashi (1990) found discrepancies in attachment classifications in Japanese infants, where the many displayed high levels of separation anxiety (i.e. insecure-resistant) but this is likely due to the fact that mother-baby separation is very rare in Japan.

  L: => the challenges of generalising findings from the Strange Situation beyond Western cultural contexts.