Final answer:
The Strange Situation was designed by Mary Ainsworth to study attachment in human infants. It involves observing the infant's behavior in a series of scenarios to determine their attachment style to the caregiver, with secure attachment being the most common and healthiest form.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Strange Situation was developed to study attachment in human infants. This procedure, created by Mary Ainsworth, investigates the nature of attachment between the child and their caregiver. It does so through a series of phases that include the introduction of a stranger, the caregiver leaving the room, and then the reunification of the caregiver and infant. The behavior of the infant during these situations, particularly the reunion phase, is indicative of the attachment style exhibited by the child.
Attachment types identified through the Strange Situation include secure, avoidant, and resistant, with a fourth type, disorganized attachment, identified later. Secure attachment is seen as the healthiest form, characterized by the child using the caregiver as a secure base from which to explore and as a source of comfort during stress.
While Ainsworth's procedure is widely recognized, it has also been subject to criticism. Some argue that a child's temperament may greatly affect attachment styles, and others suggest that cultural differences in behavior are not adequately addressed by the Strange Situation method.