Strange situation

• Secure


  Happy to explore, wary of strange, cries when mother leaves
• Insecure-resistant


  Whirling in distress, strange fear, same as stranger
• Strange situation procedure


  1. Baby in room, baby offered on 4 caregivers, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, reunion willingness to explore

  2. Mother-baby in room first, then a stranger researcher walks in after a while

  3. 2 way timer infants 9-18 months, each stage 3 mins, 66 stages, stranger encourages child to play, stranger leaves, mother leaves, stranger comes back
• Secure attachment is the most common type in UK, USA
• Insecure-avoidant is the most common type in Germany, Sweden
• Insecure-resistant is the most common type in Japan, Israel
• Differences within cultures are 15 times greater than between cultures
• Over half of the meta-analysis was from Western countries, only 5 non-Western
• The strange situation procedure is a standardised, measurable procedure developed in the USA and replicated, creating inter-rater reliability, but may not fit non-American parenting styles