Strange Situation

• Define strange situation 


  a controlled observation designed to measure the security of attachment a baby displays towards a caregiver.
• What are babies being assessed on in the strange situation

  Babies are assessed on their response to playing in an unfamiliar room, being left alone, left with a stranger and being reunited with a caregiver
• What are the behaviours used to judge attachment?

  1. Proximity seeking
  2. Exploration and secure base behaviour
  3. Stranger anxiety
  4. Separation anxiety
  5. Response union
• 1) Proximity seeking: a baby with good quality attachment will stay close to a caregiver 2) Exploration and secure base behavior: good attachment enables a baby to feel confident to explore and return to the caregiver as a ‘secure base’ 3) Stranger anxiety: close attachment=display anxiety when stranger approaches 4) Separation anxiety: protest at separation from caregiver 5) Response reunion: securely attached= greet the caregivers return with pleasure and seek comfort
• What is the first stage of Ainsworth's strange situation?

  Caregiver and baby enter an unfamiliar room
• What does Stage 2 of Ainsworth's strange situation test?

  Exploration and secure base
• Who enters the room in Stage 3 of Ainsworth's strange situation?

  A stranger comes in
• What does Stage 3 test in Ainsworth's strange situation?

  Stranger anxiety
• What happens in Stage 4 of Ainsworth's strange situation?

  Caregiver leaves baby with stranger
• What does Stage 4 test?

  Separation and stranger anxiety
• What occurs in Stage 5 of Ainsworth's strange situation?


  Caregiver returns, stranger leaves
• What does Stage 5 test?

  Reunion behavior and exploration
• What happens in Stage 6 of Ainsworth's strange situation?

  Caregiver leaves baby alone
• What does Stage 6 test?

  Separation anxiety
• What occurs in Stage 7 of Ainsworth's strange situation?


  Stranger returns to the room
• What does Stage 7 test?

  Stranger anxiety
• What happens in Stage 8 of Ainsworth's strange situation?


  Caregiver returns, reunited with baby
• What does Stage 8 test?

  Reunion behavior
• What are the three types of attachment identified by Ainsworth?

  Secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant
• What characterizes secure attachment (type b)?

  • Explores unfamiliar room
  • Moderate separation distress
  • Positive greeting upon reunion
  • Sensitive mother
  • About 70% of babies are securely attached
• How do babies with insecure-avoidant attachment (type a) behave when their caregiver leaves?

  They show little to no reaction
• What are the key features of insecure-avoidant attachment (type a)?

  • Explore freely without seeking proximity
  • Little to no reaction when caregiver leaves
  • Low stranger anxiety
  • Avoid contact upon caregiver's return
  • About 15% of babies are insecure-avoidant attached
• What is the level of anxiety in insecure-avoidant attachment (type a)?

  Low anxiety
• What characterizes insecure-resistant attachment (type c)?

  • Seek greater proximity, explore less
  • High levels of stranger/separation distress
  • Resist comfort upon reunion
  • About 15% of babies are insecure-resistant attached
• How do babies with insecure-resistant attachment (type c) react to their caregiver's return?


  They resist comfort when reunited
• What is the difference in attachment behavior between secure and insecure-resistant attachment?

  Secure attachment shows comfort-seeking, insecure-resistant resists it
• What percentage of babies are insecure-resistant attached?

  About 15%
• What is the level of attachment and anxiety in insecure-resistant attachment (type c)?

  Strong attachment, high anxiety
• What is a key feature of Ainsworth's strange situation?

  Good inter-rater reliability
• What percentage of agreement on attachment type was found by Johanna Bick et al (2012)?

  94%
• Why might the strange situation have high reliability?

  Controlled conditions and observable behaviors
• What outcomes are associated with type b (secure) attachment in children?

  Better school achievement and mental health
• What does the strange situation suggest about attachment and development?

  It measures something real and meaningful
• What do some psychologists believe the strange situation does not measure?

  Attachment
• Why is the strange situation considered culture-bound?

  Developed in Britain and US only
• What did Takahashi et al (1990) suggest about anxiety responses in Japan?

  Due to rare mother/child separation
• What challenge does cultural context pose for the strange situation?

  It complicates understanding what is measured
• What are the implications of the strange situation's findings on attachment types?

  • Secure attachment linked to positive outcomes
  • Insecure attachment linked to negative outcomes
  • Important for understanding child development
• Give one advantage of the strange situation

  Good inter-rater reliability (agreement between different observers). Johanna Bick et al (2012) tested inter-rater reliability for the strange situation for a team of trained observers and found agreement on attachment type in 94% of cases. The high level of reliability may be because the procedure takes place under controlled conditions and because behaviours (such as proximity-seeking and stranger anxiety) involve large movements and are therefore easy to observe.
• What does Ainsworth's strange situation predict about a baby's later development?

  It predicts various aspects of development