Types of attachment

• Strange situation procedure

  Ainsworth and Bell developed the 'strange situation' as a method to assess the quality of a baby's attachment to a caregiver. It is a controlled observation procedure in a lab with a two way mirror through which psychologists can observe a baby's behaviour.
• Strange situation procedure - categories

  1. proximity seeking - well attached babies stay close to their caregiver
  2. exploration and secure base behaviour - good attachment makes a baby confident to explore by using the caregiver as point of safety
  3. stranger anxiety - displayed in well attached babies
  4. separation anxiety - displayed in well attached babies
  5. response to reunion with the caregiver after separation for a short period of time - well attached babies are enthusiastic
• Strange situation procedure - seven episodes

  1. baby is encouraged to explore by caregiver
  2. stranger enters and talks to caregiver then approaches baby
  3. caregiver leaves
  4. caregiver returns and stranger leaves
  5. caregiver leaves baby alone
  6. stranger returns
  7. caregiver returns
• Strange situation findings

  Ainsworth and bell found distinct patterns in the way babies behaved. They identified three main types of attachment.

  1. secure attachment
  2. insecure-avoidant attachment
  3. insecure-resistant attachment
• Secure attachment (type B : 60-75% of British toddlers)


  Baby is happy to explore but seeks proximity to caregiver.

  Shows moderate separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.

  Requires and accepts comfort from caregiver on reunion.
• Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A : 20-25% of British toddlers)


  Baby explores freely but does not seek proximity

  Shows little/no separation and stranger anxiety

  Avoids contact at the reunion stage.
• Insecure- resistant attachment (Type C : 3% of british toddlers)


  Baby explores less and seeks greater proximity

  Shows considerate stranger and separation anxiety

  Resists comfort when reunited with caregiver
• Evaluation

  One strength is the strange situation has good predictive validity. Attachment type predicts later development. For example, secure babies typically have greater success in schools whereas insecure resistant babies are associated with the worst outcomes like bullying. This is evidence for the validity of the concept because it can explain future outcomes.
• Evaluation

  One strength is the strange situation has good inter-rater reliability. Different observers watching the same babies generally agree on attachment type . This may be because the strange situation takes place under controlled conditions and because the behavioural categories are easy to observe. This means that we can be confident that the attachment type of a baby identified in the strange situation does not just depend on who is observing them.
• Evaluation

  One limitation is that the strange situation may be a culture bound test. The strange situation test might not have the same meaning in countries outside Europe and the US where it was created. Culture differences in children's experiences mean they respond differently. This means it is difficult to know what the strange situation is measuring in some countries/cultures.