Assess whether the strange situation procedure could be considered ethical. (8)

Question 1

The strange situation procedure involves observing the interactions between an infant and its mother and an infant and a stranger during eight episodes.

Answer 1

.If the mother is told about all eight episodes of the strange situation and how her infant may react, she can give fully informed consent for herself and her infant, so the strange situation can be deemed ethical.

Question 2

At the start of the procedure to determine the attachment type of the infant the mother plays with the infant for about three minutes and then a stranger enters the room.

Answer 2

.If the infant is not securely attached then strategies can be put in place to help the mother develop a secure attachment with the infant, so it is ethical as it meets the UNCRC rights for the child to develop and not be neglected.

Question 3

At various points in the procedure the mother leaves the infant with the stranger or alone and whether the infant becomes upset is recorded.

Answer 3

Protection from harm is broken as the child may get very upset when left with the stranger or on its own and this can also be stressful for the mother, so the strange situation does not meet this ethical guideline.

Question 4

If the infant gets upset when the mother leaves it with the stranger the stranger can try and comfort the infant whilst the mother can observe the room that they are in.

Answer 4

Whilst the mothers do have the right to stop the strange situation at any point, they may feel they cannot stop the investigation when their child becomes upset in case it ruins the results, especially if they have given informed consent so this could make it unethical.