The Strange Situation

• The strange situation is a controlled observation, designed to test the quality of infant-caregiver attachment
• The behaviours tested by the strange situation:

  Proximity seeking

  Secure base / exploration

  Stranger anxiety

  Separation anxiety

  Reunion response
• Order of events for strange situation

  • Baby encouraged to explore
  • Stranger talks to caregiver and approaches Baby
  • Caregiver leaves Baby with Stranger
  • Caregiver returns, Stranger leaves
  • Caregiver leaves Baby alone
  • Stranger returns
  • Caregiver returns
• A secure attachment [~ 60-75%] will have

  • Secure base behaviour
  • Seperation/stranger anxiety
  • Accept confort in reunion
• Insecure avoidance attachment [~ 20-25%]

  • Explore but no proximity seeking
  • Little stranger anxiety
  • May avoid contact in reunion
• Insecure resistant attachments [~3%]

  • Proximity seeking but less exploration
  • High separation anxiety
  • Rejects comfort in reunion
• A strength of the strange situation is its good inter-rater reliability.

  clear categories for behaviour and standardised method makes it highly replicable
• A weakness of the strange situation is that it is culture-bound. The test and behaviours are based on American norms, so it has low generalisability
• A strength of the strange situation is its high predictive value. Securely attached infants will go on and have lasting relationships as an adult. Those who were insecurely attached tend to have mental health and relationship problems.

  [ internal working model based on first attachment ]
• A weakness of the strange situation is that it found 3 types of attachment when there may be 4.

  Main and Solomon [1986] found disorganised attachment, which has a mix of avoidant and resistant behaviors