Types of attachment (Strange situation)

Question 1

What was the aim of the Strange situation

Answer 1

To investigate diffrent behaviours infants show when seperated and reunited with primary caregiver

Question 2

what were the findings of the strange situation

Answer 2

Different patterns in infant-caregiver interactions, leading to three main attachment styles- secure, insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant

Question 3

What is a strenght of the Strange situation ?

Answer 3

SS shows very good inter-rater reliability. Observers watching the same children in the SS generally agree on what attachment type to classify them to

Also the SS is quite eeasy to replicate

Question 4

What are weakness’ of the Strange situation ?

Answer 4

The highly controlled methodology of the Starnge situation has been criticised as being highly artificial. The observations lack ecological validity as they are held in a laboratory, not a familiar environment like the family home.

SS may be culturally bound, e.g does not have the same meaning in countries outside western Europe or USA. Cultural diffrences in Childhood experiences are likely to mean that children respond diffrently to the strange situation.