Concept

Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation Procedure

The Strange Situation is a structured observational procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to study attachment between infants, typically aged 12-18 months, and their primary caregivers. The procedure involves a sequence of events in a toy-filled room: the caregiver and infant are initially alone, then a stranger enters, the caregiver leaves the infant with the stranger, and finally, the caregiver returns to comfort the infant. An infant's reactions throughout these stages, especially during the reunion, are analyzed to determine their attachment style.

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Updated 2026-04-23

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