Strange Situation

• Who created the Strange Situation?

  Mary Ainsworth
• What is the Strange Situation?

  -> a controlled observation to measure the security of attachment children will display
• Name the behaviours used to judge attachment

  -> Proximity Seeking - staying close to CG

  ->Exploration & secure base behaviour - confident to explore and use CG as secure base

  ->Stranger anxiety - display anxiety when stranger approaches

  ->Separation anxiety - protest at separation from CG

  -> Response to reunion - with CG after separation
• How many episodes were there? How long did it last?

  -> seven episodes

  -> lasted 3 minutes each
• Name each of the episodes.

  1. Child is encouraged to explore
  2. Stranger comes in and interacts with child
  3. CG leaves child and stranger alone
  4. CG returns and stranger leaves
  5. CG leaves child alone
  6. Stranger returns
  7. CG returns and reunites with child
• What are the 3 types of Attachment?

  1. Insecure - avoidant attachment (type A)
  2. Secure attachment (type B)
  3. Insecure - resistant attachment (type C)
• What characteristics does Secure A. have?

  ->explore happily - regularly return to CG

  -> moderate separation anxiety

  -> accept comfort when reunited

  • 60-75% British toddlers
• What characteristics does Insecure-Avoidant A. have?

  ->Explore freely - doesn't seek proximity/secure base

  -> no reaction when CG leaves

  -> no comfort/ effort to make contact with CG when reunited

  -> little stranger anxiety

  • 20-35%
• What characteristics does Insecure-Resistant A. have?

  -> seek greater proximity - explore less

  -> huge stranger/separation anxiety

  -> resist comfort

  • 3%
• LIMITATION - Culture Bound

  ->SS developed in Britain and US - only valid for certain cultures

  >>Diff. babies have diff. experiences due to diff. cultures

  • Takahashi - study in Japan - high levels of separation anxiety -> disproportionate classed as Insecure-Resistant
  • not due to A. insecurity but experience in Japan - mother & baby rarely separated
• STRENGTH - predictive validity

  -> A. types highly predictive of future development

  >> Babies assessed with Secure A. tend to have better outcome than Insecure A. babies in many areas

  • childhood - better achievement in school
  • have better MH in adulthood
  • Type C tend to have the worse outcome - bullied