Attachment Style

Description

Example

Secure Attachment

Secure attachment results from consistent, responsive, and nurturing caregiving. Children with secure attachment feel safe exploring their environment because they know their caregiver will be there when needed.

A child with a secure attachment to their parent is comfortable playing alone, knowing they can return to their parent for comfort or reassurance. As adults, they tend to form stable relationships, are comfortable with intimacy, and can healthily handle conflicts.

Anxious Attachment

Anxious attachment emerges from inconsistent caregiving, where the child's needs are sometimes met and sometimes ignored. This unpredictability creates anxiety in the child, leading them to seek constant reassurance.

A child with an anxious attachment might cling to their caregiver and become distressed when separated.

As adults, they may become overly dependent on their partners, fearing abandonment, and often need frequent validation and reassurance in relationships.

Avoidant Attachment

Avoidant attachment develops when a caregiver is unavailable or unresponsive to the child's needs. These children learn to rely on themselves because they can't depend on their caregivers for support.

A child with an avoidant attachment might avoid seeking comfort from their caregiver, preferring to be alone. As adults, they might struggle with intimacy and be uncomfortable with emotional closeness, often keeping their partners at a distance.

Disorganized Attachment

Disorganized attachment is linked to erratic or abusive caregiving. These children experience confusion and fear because their caregiver's behavior is unpredictable and, at times, harmful.

A child with a disorganized attachment might display bizarre behavior when interacting with their caregiver, such as freezing or showing contradictory actions like approaching and withdrawing. As adults, they may have difficulty forming healthy relationships, often experiencing turmoil and confusion in their connections with others.