The strange situation is a standardized procedure devised by Mary Ainsworth to observe attachment security in children within the context of caregiver relationships.
procedure of strange situation
research room is a novel enviroment marked into squares to record how far infants move
100middle class amedrican infants and their mother
consists of 8 episodes where caregiver and stranger alternately come and leave
designed to understand infants response to separation from caregiver (seperation anxiety)reunion with caregiver (reunion behaviour) and response to stranger (stranger anxiety) exploration of infants (secure base concept)
AInsworth findings
ainsworth found three main patterns of behaviour Ainsworth found 3 main patterns of behavior and classified them into 3 types of attachment...
66% Secure which use the attachment figure as a safe base to explore the environment (high willingness) moderate stranger anxiety,some seperation anxiety (easily soothed) ,enthusiastic at reunion
2. 22%% Avoidant insecure- high willingness to explore, low stranger anxiety, indifferent on separation, doesn't seek comfort from mother on return
3. 12% Resistant insecure- low willingness to explore,high stranger anxiety distressed on separation seeks mother but then rejects comfort on reunion
