Strange Situation

• Procedure

  1. Controlled lab observation

  2. In unfamiliar playroom

  3. 2 way mirror observe infants (9-18 months)

  4. Measured proximity seeking

  5. Exploration

  6. Secure base behaviour

  7. Stranger anxiety

  8. Separation anxiety

  9. Response to reunion
• Procedure episodes


  • Child encouraged to explore (2)
  • Stranger tries to interact (3)
  • Caregiver leaves, stranger together (+4)
  • Caregiver returns, stranger leaves
  • Caregiver leaves (6)
  • Stranger returns (7)
  • Stranger leaves, caregiver returns
• Majority of children have secure attachment (Type B) - 60%-75%
• Secure (Type B) children


  • Explored happily, regularly returned to base
  • Moderate separation and stranger anxiety
  • Required comfort at reunion
• Insecure-resistant (Type C) children 3% of children 


  • Sought greater proximity, explored less
  • High levels of stranger anxiety and separation
  • Resisted comfort at reunion, kept crying
• Insecure-avoidant (Type A) children


  • Explored freely, no proximity or secure base
  • Showed little/no distress when left/returned
  • Minimal stranger anxiety, no comfort required
• Insecure-avoidant (Type A) children make up 20-25% of British children
• Main+ Solomm- Questions Reliablility 


  • Found small hr. of infants showed no consistent pattern
  • Argued a 4th type of attachment? insecure -disorganised.
• Bick et al- High inter-rater reliability 


  • Looked at this in a team of train S.S. observes
  • Found 94% agreement. Behavioral catagories were operationalised and done under controlled condition, making it easy to replicate
• Behavioural catagories


  Operationalized + controlled conditions
• Not measuring & attachment, Kegan suggest the responce to unfamilier sit. is measuring temprament. This lowers validity and makes attachment types invalid
• Lowers validity + makes attachment type in valid
• Low ecological validity


  • Pts behaviour change: Caregiver: Demand charactetristic Infant: Unfamilier sit.
  • Not reflecting uteal every day behavicur so can it be generalized. However it is argued that children will be in unfamiliar situations so does have ecological validity.
• Argued that children will be in unfamilier sit. "cute" ults as
• Oversimplified


  • Infants within each Catagory differs from eachother interms ot Severity of behaviour
  • The oversimplistic Catagories implies all children in one= same + likely to be nebopuuce correct