Evaluation of the strange situation

reliability (test retest reliablity) XD

generally the strange situation is seen as reiable as if it's repeated with the same people the same results are observed.
This type of reliability is called test retest reliability.

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can be checked and improved.
most observations will use more than one observer and so observational checklists should show the same results.

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measures if the test is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring.
strange situation tries to measure the child's attachment type.
some reasearchers have argued that it isn't a vaid measure of attachment type as in some cases babies have different classification (type a, b, or c) depending on who they are with in the strange situation. this suggests that the strange situation is measuring the relationship between the child and the adult and not their attachment type.

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This is the degree to which the results can be generalised to other groups of people (different cultures or countries).
As the original study was only conducted with middle class americans, we can't be certain we would get the same results in other countries or cultures.

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this is when results are generalised to real life.
the observation in the strange situation was carried out in a lab so there are low levels of ecological validity.
As the enviroment was artifical; it wasn't what the baby was used too, this ment they could change their behaviour and appear more stressed and upset thanif they were at home.
this means that in the lab some babies may be type c where as at home they could be type b.

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predictions made from the strange situation tend to be quite accurate. they often predict the following:
A type A baby will grow up to be a shy type of person
A type B baby will grow up to be a popular and confident person who is a ble to make friends easily.
A type C baby will become attention seeking and moody.

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