The strange situation

• The stage situation


  A controlled observation procedure in a lab with a two way mirror so the psychologists could observe the child's behaviour without interfering, developed to assess the quality of a child's attachment to their caregiver
• Categories used to judge attachment quality

  • Proximity seeking
  • Explorations and secure base behaviour
  • Stranger anxiety
  • Separation anxiety
  • Response to reunion with the caregiver after separation for a short period of time
• Proximity seeking


  Well attached infants stayed close to their caregiver
• Explorations and secure base behaviour

  Good attachment takes a child confident to explore
• Stranger anxiety


  Displayed by well attached infants
• Separation anxiety


  Displayed by well attached infants
• Response to reunion with the caregiver after separation for a short period of time

  Well attached infants are enthusiastic
• The procedure


  1. Child is encouraged to explore by caregiver

  2. Stranger enters and talks to caregiver

  3. Caregiver leaves

  4. Caregiver returns, stranger leave

  5. Caregiver leaves the child alone

  6. Stranger returns

  7. Caregiver returns
• Patterns in the ways infants behaved

  • Secure attachment type B 60-75% of toddlers (child happy to explore but seeks proximity with caregiver, shows moderate separation and stranger anxiety and requires and accepts comfort from caregiver on return)
  • Insecure-avoidant type A 20-25% of toddlers (child explores freely but doesn't seek proximity, shows little/no separation/stranger anxiety and doesn't require comfort upon reunion)
  • Insecure-resistant attachment type C 3% of toddlers (child explores less and seeks more proximity, shows considerable stranger and separation anxiety and resists comfort when reunited with caregiver)
• Predictive validity of attachment types in the strange situation

  Attachment type predicts later development
• Secure babies


  Usually have greater success at schooling and lasting romantic relationships
• Insecure-resistant attachment


  Associated with the worst outcomes such as adult mental problems
• Strange situation


  • Shows very good inter-rater reliability
  • Different observers watching the same children generally agree on the attachment type
• The strange situation took place under controlled conditions and the behavioural categories are easy to identify, so we can be confident about the attachment type of an infant