AO3

• Replicable/high inter-observer reliability- As the research is highly operationalised, observers have a clear view of how a securely attached infant should behave, due to the 4 specific criteria that Ainsworth used. For this reason, the research had high inter-rater reliability.
• • A criticism of the study is that it has low ecological validity, and the results may not be applicable outside of the lab. The environment of the study was controlled and the eight scripted stages of the procedure (e.g. mum and stranger entering and leaving the room at set times) would be unlikely to happen in real life.
• Culturally biased- The SS was designed by an American according to observations of US children. The criteria used to classify infants are based on US values. It could be argued that this is Ethnocentric, so observations of non-Americans will judged according to American standards. E.g. Japanese infants were judged as being resistant due to high levels of distress that were observed but this reflects their lack of experience being alone during the “infant alone” part of the research as Japanese infants spend most of their time being carried by their mothers.
• Culturally biased - German children were more likely to be classified as avoidant because Germans value independence in their children so discourage secure base seeking behaviour