1. The strange situation ATTACHMENT

2. Starter  Put the 8 stages of the strange situation into the correct order

3. Recap – what are the characteristics of each attachment type?  Secure  Insecure-avoidant  Insecure-resistant

4. What might the infants be thinking at each stage?  Complete the worksheet to show what a child might be thinking during each stage of the strange situation  The secure attachment type has been done for you  Fill in the thought bubbles for insecure avoidant and insecure resistant

5. What carer behaviour might cause the varying attachment types in infants?

6. Caregiver sensitivity hypothesis response  Attachment depends on response of caregiver 1. Insecure-avoidant – mothers tended to ignore infants 2. Insecure-resistant – mothers behaved ambivalently towards infants – undecided – sometimes loving, other times rejecting/ignoring 3. Secure – mothers responded to needs, gave attention and reassurance

7. Evaluation of the strange situation  Strengths and Limitations - Think about: - Ethical issues - Setting - Sample - Complete the cut and stick task differentiating between strengths and weaknesses

8. Past Exam Q:  Evaluate the Strange Situation as a method for investigating types of attachment  (4 marks)

9. Markscheme  Children may show characteristics of insecure attachment because they are used to being separated from their mother eg in day care.  The strange situation bases attachment on observation of the relationship between the infant and one caregiver, ignoring other possible attachment figures.  There may be ethical issues in putting children into a stressful situation, although the episodes can be cut short.  The procedure and categories were based on one culture, there may be limitations in using it in cultures where children are treated differently.  Students can point out the difficulties of generating attachment types from the strange situation. Disorganised attachment was added later.  Ecological validity would also be relevant. The study was carried out in controlled conditions and might not be generalised to other situations. The child ‟ s behavior when observed may be atypical for various reasons.  Positive criticisms, eg control of room, timings etc would also be relevant. Students may cover one of these in detail, or more than one in less detail.