The Strange situation
- Created by: Datman 1331
- Created on: 03-04-20 09:17
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- The Strange Situation
- Procedure
- controlled observation, assessing attachment
- under lab conditions with a one way mirror
- 12-18 months old, 100 middle class americans
- observing behaviour in 8 events, 3 minutes long
- 1) Mother, baby, and experimenter (lasts less than one
minute).
- (2) Mother and baby alone.
- (3) A stranger joins the mother and infant.
- (4) Mother leaves baby and stranger alone.
- (5) Mother returns and stranger leaves.
- (6) Mother leaves; infant left completely alone.
- (7) Stranger returns.
- (8) Mother returns and stranger leaves
- (7) Stranger returns.
- (6) Mother leaves; infant left completely alone.
- (5) Mother returns and stranger leaves.
- (4) Mother leaves baby and stranger alone.
- (3) A stranger joins the mother and infant.
- (2) Mother and baby alone.
- Scoring
- 4 behaviours identified:
- 1. Proximity and contacting seeking
- 2. Contact maintaining
- 3. Avoidance of proximity and contact
- 4. Resistance to contact and comforting
- behaviour is noted every 15 seconds, and the intensity
- 4 behaviours identified:
- Findings
- There are 3 attachment styles:
- Secure (type B)
- distressed when mother leaves
- avoidant with stranger when alone, friendly with parent
- Positive and happy when mum returns
- uses mum as a safe base to explore the environment
- 70%
- uses mum as a safe base to explore the environment
- Positive and happy when mum returns
- avoidant with stranger when alone, friendly with parent
- distressed when mother leaves
- insecure
ambivalent/resistant (type C).
- intense distress when mother leaves
- shows fear of stranger
- when mum returns, approaches mother, but resists contact
- cries more and explores less
- 15%
- cries more and explores less
- when mum returns, approaches mother, but resists contact
- shows fear of stranger
- intense distress when mother leaves
- insecure avoidant
(type A)
- no distress when mother leaves
- okay with stranger, plays normally
- little interest when mum returns
- mum and stranger comfort equally well
- 15%
- mum and stranger comfort equally well
- little interest when mum returns
- okay with stranger, plays normally
- no distress when mother leaves
- Secure (type B)
- There are 3 attachment styles:
- AO3
- High reliability
- -Occurs in a controlled environment
- - observations made are done via behavioural categories meaning it is easier to make reliable observations
- -High inter-reliability (a degree of agreement among raters)- means people agree with the results meaning the reliability of them is high
- -means different types of attachments are reliable as well
- Support for validity
- Securely attached have better outcomes in many areas (e.g. school, friendships, romantic relationships)
- Insecure resistant found
to have the worst outcomes (e.g. bullying in later childhood)
- This is evidence for the validity of the concept as it can explain subsequent outcomes
- Strange Situation may be culture bound
- 1. Cultural differences in childhood experiences è children will respond differently to the strange situation
- 2. Caregivers from different cultures may behave differently in strange situation
- For example: Takahashi (1990) noted how the test didn’t work in Japan….
- Ethical issues
- A child under distress may cause long term effects
- child could not give consent or leave
- culture bound may not be worth the risk
- research did affect how we interact with our child and how certain attachments and behaviour come from this.
- High reliability
- Procedure
- likelihood:
- Exam questions
- outline and evaluate Ainsworth's strange situation experiment
- outline the three personality types
- outline the strange situation
- strength & limitation of the study
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