Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation procedure (SSP) is a critically renowned and mass utilized measure of attachment among infants. Four decades on, and it remains a key influence in determining the relationship between a child and their care-giver. However, despite being labelled a measurement of ‘gold standard’ (Merriam-Webster dictionary, as cited by Clarke-Stewart), we must consider the changes in society from the time of Ainsworth’s work. In this essay, I will be evaluating the SSP’s compatibility with other cultures and whether enough time is spent on each infant in order to come to a conclusion. Finally, I will critically evaluate its use in modern society, and it still has a place in modern life.
A key criticism of using the SSP …show more content…
(van Ijzendoorn et. al, 1999, cited by Buchanan,). Many scholars, such as Clarke-Stewart, argue that the child does not have the chance to express reliable representation of their attachment type. By being away from a family home and having the distractions of a new environment, the infant is unlikely to act in a representative manor. Their reaction to the mother’s engagement and action of leaving could be more of a reflection on the child’s familiarity of being left for short periods of time (K. Allison Clarke Stewart, 2001). This could lead to a participant being classified as insecure when they are in fact merely just distracted by the environment, or accustomed to temporary periods of separation from the mother. Therefore, it could be argued that we cannot view the SSP as a valid measure of attachment, as there is not enough time spent to take all aspects of the infant’s behaviour into …show more content…
This measure is now being used on mass scale in a modern society very different from that of Ainsworth’s period. For example, around the time of the initial SSP, only 47% of mothers in the US, with children under the age of 18 were in the work force, however, this has now risen to 70% (Bureau of Labour Statistics). This reflects how society has moved away from the nuclear family and could suggest that due to mothers being in work, children have a more diverse influence of care-givers. Studies suggest that the attachment types of infants are highly influenced by the person in which they are interacting with. For example, in a study conducted by Bridges, Connell and Belsky, the interaction between a child and their father was found to be more similar to that of a stranger, than the interaction with the mother. This would indicate that if the role of the mother and father has shifted predominantly from the time of the initial study, it is likely for the results to differ. For this reason, the SSP could be seen as an invalid measure due to its inaccurate reflection of today’s
A key criticism of using the SSP …show more content…
(van Ijzendoorn et. al, 1999, cited by Buchanan,). Many scholars, such as Clarke-Stewart, argue that the child does not have the chance to express reliable representation of their attachment type. By being away from a family home and having the distractions of a new environment, the infant is unlikely to act in a representative manor. Their reaction to the mother’s engagement and action of leaving could be more of a reflection on the child’s familiarity of being left for short periods of time (K. Allison Clarke Stewart, 2001). This could lead to a participant being classified as insecure when they are in fact merely just distracted by the environment, or accustomed to temporary periods of separation from the mother. Therefore, it could be argued that we cannot view the SSP as a valid measure of attachment, as there is not enough time spent to take all aspects of the infant’s behaviour into …show more content…
This measure is now being used on mass scale in a modern society very different from that of Ainsworth’s period. For example, around the time of the initial SSP, only 47% of mothers in the US, with children under the age of 18 were in the work force, however, this has now risen to 70% (Bureau of Labour Statistics). This reflects how society has moved away from the nuclear family and could suggest that due to mothers being in work, children have a more diverse influence of care-givers. Studies suggest that the attachment types of infants are highly influenced by the person in which they are interacting with. For example, in a study conducted by Bridges, Connell and Belsky, the interaction between a child and their father was found to be more similar to that of a stranger, than the interaction with the mother. This would indicate that if the role of the mother and father has shifted predominantly from the time of the initial study, it is likely for the results to differ. For this reason, the SSP could be seen as an invalid measure due to its inaccurate reflection of today’s