Strange situation

• A01: Individual Differences in Attachment
• The Strange Situation (Ainsworth, 1978)
• The Strange Situation is a procedure for assessing the quality of attachment between the infant and mother
• It is a controlled observation developed by Mary Ainsworth et al (1978)
• The Strange Situation involves

  • Series of 8 episodes where the child is either with its mother, left alone or with a stranger
  • Procedure lasts for 24 minutes in total (each stage lasting 3 mins)
• The main aim of the study is to obtain signs of attachment by observing any signs of stranger anxiety
• Participants in the study

  • Child
  • Mother
  • Stranger
• Controlled observation


  The situation is controlled by the researcher
• Naturalistic observation


  Observation takes place in a natural setting without any interference from the researcher
• A controlled observation differs from a naturalistic observation as the situation is controlled by the researcher
• Secure attachment (Type B)

  60-75% if infants

  distress when mother leaves and stranger appeared but accepts care when returns
• Insecure avoidant (type A)

  no distress when mother leaves little when stranger appears- unemotional
• Insecure resistant huge separation anxiety when mother leaves and stranger anxiety is large when other feature they are inconsolable
• Attachment Based on caregiver sensitivity - buts usually American children - generalisability issues
• Culture bias
• Bowby beleved that attachments were innate (nature)
• Different communities regard different child rearing techniques as most desirable
• Different child rearing techniques


  • German parents encouraging independence in their infants
  • Israel infants spending much time in the company of adults other than their parents
  • Japanese mothers keeping their infants physically attached to them in their baby carriers for practically the whole day
• Van ljzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) conducted a meta-analysis of cultural variations in attachment
• Meta-analysis


  A statistical method of combining the results of multiple scientific studies to increase the power of the statistical tests and improve estimates of the size of the effect
• Meta-analysis uses secondary data
• Van ljzendoorn and Kroonenberg (1988) conducted a meta-analysis in which they analysed the results of 32 separate studies in 8 countries which used Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation'
• Weakness of Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg is imposed etic.