Strange Situation

Review of the Strange Situation When we form a strong emotional tie with the people in our lives which leads us to seek out their comfort in times of difficulty or to enjoy their presence, we have formed an attachment with them. All babies raised within a family structure become attached to their caregiver; however the strength of the attachment can vary. While some are secure in their relationships with the caregiver; presenting as relaxed in their presence; others appear apprehensive and uncertain in the relationship. In order to measure the security of attachment, Mary Ainsworth and her associates developed a procedure to identify a secure attachment pattern and patterns of insecurity along with utilizing separation anxiety and response to reunion with mother to define the quality of attachment (Berk, 2014). Mary Ainsworth believed infants evolved to engage in behaviors such as clinging and smiling, in order to attract the mother, or caretaker, and the mother responds to these behaviors with nurturing (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). This reciprocity, which encourages a closeness of mother and infant, serves to ensure survival of the species …show more content…
The purpose of the research was to observe how conditions of novelty and alarm would influence the balance of behaviors of exploration and attachment and to what extent the infant was able to use its mother as a secure foundation from which he could explore. Further, they researchers sought to observe to what extent the attachment behavior might control the infant 's exploration when a stranger was present during separation and representation of the