Strange situation

• Strange Situation


  Procedure used to assess the quality of a baby's attachment to their caregiver
• Strange Situation procedure


  1. Caregiver and baby are observed in a quite controlled environment

  2. Psychologists observe the baby's behaviour when the caregiver leaves and returns

  3. Aim is to measure the security of the baby's attachment to the caregiver
• Strange Situation


  • Allows the baby to feel confident to explore the environment
  • Allows the baby to make them feel safe and secure when the caregiver is present
  • Causes the baby to experience some anxiety when a caregiver leaves
  • Allows the baby to show relief and a desire for proximity when the caregiver returns
• Secure attachment


  Baby uses the caregiver as a secure base to explore the environment
• Insecure-avoidant attachment


  Baby does not seek proximity or contact with the caregiver when they return, and may even actively avoid them
• Insecure-resistant attachment


  Baby shows distress and difficulty being comforted when the caregiver returns
• The Strange Situation has good predictive validity, as it predicts aspects of the baby's later development
• Babies assessed as securely attached (Type B) tend to have better outcomes in later childhood and adulthood
• The Strange Situation has good inter-rater reliability, with trained observers agreeing on attachment type in 94% of cases
• The Strange Situation may be culture-bound, as it was developed in Western contexts and may not be valid in other cultures where mother-baby separation is very rare