Procedure designed by Mary Ainsworth (1971) to see how infants would behave under conditions of mild stress
Strange situation procedure
1. Controlled observation of children aged between 12-18 months through a two-way mirror
2. Consists of 8 episodes to highlight certain behaviours (parent leaves/stranger enters the room/parent and infant play…)
3. Observation was recorded on: stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, reunion behaviour and the novel environment to test a secure base
4. Every 15 seconds, behaviour was recorded to look at proximity seeking behaviour/maintaining contact/avoiding interaction behaviours
5. Each item is scored on intensity from 1-7
Insecure-Avoidant (Type A) - Avoid social interaction/intimacy - Little response to separation - No tendency to cling or resist - Happy to explore without parents
Secure (Type B) - Cooperative with Caregiver - Do not cry on separation - Seek contact when anxious - Comfortable with social interaction - Caregiver is secure base
Insecure-Resistant (Type C) - Seeks and resists intimacy - On separation show immense distress - On reunion display conflicting desires
