The Strange Situation

Question 1

Procedure

Answer 1

The SS is a controlled overs action procedure designed to measure the security of attachment a child displays towards a caregiver

Question 2

Behaviours used to judge attachment includdd

Answer 2

• proximity seeking
• exploration and secure base behaviour
• stranger anxiety
• separation anxiety
• response to reunion

Question 3

The 7 episodes

Answer 3

Begin- child and caregiver enter an unfamiliar playroom
1- the child is encouraged to explore
2-a stranger comes in and tries to interact with the child
3-the caregiver leaves the child and stranger together
4-the caregiver returns and the stranger leAves
5-the caregiver leaves the child alone
6- the stranger returns
7-the caregiver Returns and is reunited with the child

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

Secure attachment - type B- these children explore happily but regular go back to the care giver. Usually show moderate separation distress and moderate stranger anxiety. 60-75% British toddlers classified as secure

Insecure-avoidant attachment- type A- these children explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure base behaviour. Show little or no reaction when the caregiver leaves 20-25%

Insecure resistant attachment - type C- these children seek greater proximity than others so explore less. Show huge stranger anxiety and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunified with carer. 3% of British toddles

Question 5

Evaluation - support for validity

Answer 5

AttChment types as defined by SS is strongly predictive of later development. Babies assessed as secure typically go on to have better outcomes in many areas- school or romantic success.
-insecure resistant is associated with the worst outcomes including bullying in later childhood

-the concept is valid because it can explain subsequent outcome s

Question 6

Evalutuation - good reliability

Answer 6

Very good inter-rater reliability. Different observers watching the same children generally agree on what attachment type.
Good controlled conditioned and behaviourally categories easy to observe.
Buck et al 2012 found 94% agreement rate amongst observers for babies attachment type

Question 7

Evaluation - test may be culture bound

Answer 7

Cultural differences in childhood mean that children will response differently in the strange situation.
TAKASHI 1990 found that Japanese mothers are so rarely separated from their children that there are high high levels of separation anxiety
- mothers in the reunion stage ran and scooped baby up so their response was hard to observe