The Strange Situation.

The Strange Situation.

1. Aims

2. Evaluation

   • Support for Vaildity
     • secure babies generally have better outcomes in life than insecure babies
     • insecure babies can lead to bullying and adult mental health
   • Good Reliabilty
     • have different observers so good inter-rater reilabilty
     • controlled conditions because behaviour is easy to observe
     • had agreement in 94% of cases. results are reliable

3. Procedure

   • Proximity seeking - an infant with good attachment will stay close to its mother
   • Exploration and secure-base behaviour - enables the child to feel confident to explore, using the carer as a secure base
   • Stranger Anxiety - one of the signs of becoming closely attached is to show stranger anxiety when a stranger apporches
   • Separation Anxiety - a sign of becoming attached to the carer is to protest when separated from the carer.
   • Response to Reunion - to the carer after a short period of separation.
   • was done in controlled in conditions
   • Psychologists would measure the infants behaviour via a 2-way mirror
   • A controlled observation

4. Findings

   • Secure attachment
     • explore happily but goes back to the carer
     • show moderate separation and stranger anxiety.
     • accept comfort from carer at reunion
     • 65% - 70% of British toddlers
   • Insecure-Avoidant attachment
     • explore freely but doesn't go back to carer
     • shows little/no separation/stranger anxiety
     • doesn't need comfort at reunion
     • 20% - 25% of British toddler
   • Insecure - resistant attachment
     • explore less and stay with parent
     • show large stranger/separation anxiety
     • don't accept comfort at reunion.
     • 2% - 3% of British toddlers

Images and files in the map