Strange Situation

Mary Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation” is a structured observational study designed to assess the queslity of attachment between a caregiver (usually the mother) and a child.

What is the Strange Situation?

Its a controlled lab procedure involving a series of short episodes (typically 8) where the child (around 12 - 18 months old) experiences separations and reunions with their caregiver, along with the presence of a stranger.

The key idea is to observe how the child responds to:

  • Separation from the caregiver

  • Being alone or with a stranger

  • Reunion with the caregiver (this is the most important part)

The Procedure (simplified)

  1. Caregiver and child enter a room

  2. Child explores (caregiver present)

  3. Stranger enters

  4. Caregiver leaves (first separation)

  5. Caregiver returns (first reunion)

  6. Caregiver leaves again (second seperation, child alone briefly)

  7. Stranger returns

  8. Caregiver returns (second reunion)

Attachment Types Identified

Ainsworth identified three main attachment styles:

  1. Secure Attachment (Type B)

    - Child explore confidently with caregiver as a “safe base"

    - Shows distress when caregiver leaves

    - Seeks comfort on return and is easily soothed

Indicates a positive internal working model (other are reliable, self is worthy of care)[

  1. Insecure-Avoidant (Type A)

    - Child shows little distress on separation

    - Avoids or ignores caregiver on return

Suggests the child has learned that caregiver are not responsive

  1. Insecure-Resistant (Type C)

    - Child is very distressed when caregiver leaves

    - Seeks contact but resists comfort (e.g. pushes away)

Indicates inconsistency in caregiver responses

Why it Matters

The Strange Situation:

  • Provides evidence for attachment theory (linked to John Bowlby)

  • Shows how early relationships influence later emotional and social development

  • Supports the idea of the internal working model

Evaluation (A03 Points)

  1. Strong Reliability (Inter-rater reliability)

One of the biggest strengths is that the procedure is highly controlled and standardised.

  • All children experience the same sequence of events, making behaviour easier to compare.

  • Observations are often recorded (e.g. video), so multiple researchers can independently code behaviour.

Research has shown high agreement between observers, meaning atttachment types are consistently identified.

This strengthens the study’s scientific credibility.

  1. Culture Bias (limitation)

The procedure may be ethnocentric, reflecting Western norms of attachment.

  • It assumes that separation anxiety is a sign on attachment

  • In some cultures (e.g. Germany), independence is encouraged, so avoidant behaviour may be more common and not necessarily “insecure”.

  • In others (e.g. Japan), infants are rarely separated from caregivers, so distress may be unusually high.

A key study by Van IJzendoorn found both similarities and differences across cultures.

This raises questions about whether the Strange Situation measures universal attachment or culturally specific behaviour.