Attachment and Attachment
Styles
Dr. Urooj Sadiq
Assistant Professor
Humanities
Bowlby and Ainsworth’s attachment theory
Bowlby’s theory was first tested on infants and their
mothers by Mary Ainsworth, an American psychologist,
and her colleagues (whose major book appeared in
1978)
Mary Ainsworth: Conducted arguably the most important
research to date on attachment theory & devised the
“Strange Situation” method of studying attachment,
where infants are briefly left alone and then reunited
with their caregivers.
• The way that the child behaves when the caregiver
leaves, in their absence, and upon their return were
found to vary as a result of factors within the motherchild relationship and predict various characteristics in
adult individuals.
• Identified three major styles of attachment: secure,
ambivalent-insecure, and avoidant-insecure.
• These results have been supported by a number of
studies that have been conducted since Ainsworth’s
original work.
• Three major patterns of infant attachment
– Secure,
– Insecure
• Ambivalent
• Avoidant
Socially induced patterns of infant attachment (Ainsworth)
• Secure: Confident that parent is available and responsive. Exploration-oriented,
emotionally positive. Soothes easily. Shows early empathy and ability to talk
about emotions.
• (Documented origin: sensitive, empathic parental care giving; coherent parental
discussion of emotions)
• Anxious: Cries a lot, is anxious, angry. Lacks confidence that parent is accessible
and responsive. Inhibited exploration. Attachment behavior is too readily
activated.
• (Documented origin: parental anxiety and uncertainty, parental selfcenteredness, misperception of the child’s needs and signals, intrusiveness,
inconsistency)
• Avoidant: Cries little during separation and actively avoids parent upon
reunion. Engages in rigid, displaced exploratory activity, “turning to the neutral
world of things without the true interest of exploration.”
• (Documented origin: parental rejection, lack of warmth, discomfort with
negative emotions, vulnerability, and physical contact)
Types of Attachment
• In Strange Situation: Babies exhibit minimum
distress when separated from their mothers,
– theoretically because they feel secure and able to
depend on the mother as a caregiver. Mom leaving is
ok because the child can trust that she will return.
• Parents: Respond quickly to the needs of child,
play more with their children than parents of
children with other attachment styles.
• Observed trends in children: When afraid, children
seek soothing,
– Theoretically: because they know it will be provided.
Welcome contact from caregivers, positive response to
return of caregivers, prefer parents to strangers, more
empathic, less disruptive, less aggressive, and more
mature.
• Observed trends in adults: Strong self-esteem,
intimate and secure/stable romantic relationships,
more positive beliefs about relationships (i.e. belief
that romantic love is enduring), ability to seek social
support, ability to share thoughts/feelings with others.
Types of Insecure Attachment
Ambivalent
Avoidant
Ambivalent Attachment
• In Strange Situation: Typically become extremely upset
when the caregiver leaves,
– theoretically because they cannot trust that the caregiver will
return or be present when the child needs them. Do not seem
reassured or comforted when caregiver returns.
• Parents: Consistently linked with low caregiver availability
• Observed trends in children: Often rejects caregivers
attempts at comfort, may be outwardly aggressive toward
parents. Highly suspicious of strangers, described by
teachers as “overly dependent” and “clingy.”
• Observed trends in adults: Fall in love often
but reluctant to become close, preoccupied
with worry that partner does not return
feelings, break-up often, exceptionally
troubled by the end of relationships. May cling
to their children as a source of security.
Avoidant Attachment
• In Strange Situation: Tend to avoid parents or caregivers
and do not prefer their own caregivers over strangers.
There is evidence that this may be a result of abuse or
neglect.
– Theoretically, these children have been punished for seeking
help, nurturance and care in the past and are no longer safe to
do so.
• Observed trends in children: Tend to avoid parents and
caregivers, especially after a period of absence. Do not
necessarily reject but do not seek comfort or contact with
caregivers, show no preference for parents over strangers.
• Observed trends in adults: Belief that love is rare and shortlived, pattern of being unwilling/unable to invest emotion in
relationships and experience a pronounced lack of distress
when a relationship ends, often avoid intimacy by using
excuses (such as long work hours). Failure to support
identify attachment patterns in adults
____ I am uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult
to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on
them. I’m nervous when anyone gets too close, and relationship
partners often want me to be more intimate than I feel
comfortable being.
____ Relationship partners are reluctant to get as close as I
would like. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or
won’t want to stay with me. I want to get very close to my partner,
and this sometimes scares people away.
____ I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am
comfortable depending on them. I don’t often worry about being
abandoned or about someone getting too close to me.
identified attachment patterns in adults
____ I am uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult
to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on
them. I’m nervous when anyone gets too close, and relationship
partners often want me to be more intimate than I feel
comfortable being. (Avoidant)
____ Relationship partners are reluctant to get as close as I
would like. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or
won’t want to stay with me. I want to get very close to my partner,
and this sometimes scares people away. (Ambivalent )
____ I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am
comfortable depending on them. I don’t often worry about being
abandoned or about someone getting too close to me. (Secure)