Which attachment style describes infants who are distressed when the caregiver leaves but resist comfort upon return?

Which attachment style describes infants who are distressed when the caregiver leaves but resist comfort upon return?

• A. Avoidant Attachments
• B. Stranger Anxiety
• C. Secure Attachments
• D. Anxious/Ambivalent Attachment

Answer: (D)

Attachment styles describe how infants respond to a caregiver’s presence and absence, especially during separation and reunion. Anxious/ambivalent attachment fits the pattern where the infant is visibly distressed when the caregiver leaves and then, upon return, seeks closeness but resists the caregiver’s comfort or pushes them away. This mix—high distress at separation plus ambivalence at reunion—reflects inconsistent caregiving, leaving the child uncertain about whether support will come when needed. The other patterns don’t match as well: an avoidant style shows little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoids comfort after returning; a secure style combines distress at separation with a quick, soothing return to closeness; and stranger anxiety is about fear of unfamiliar people, not the caregiver’s absence and reunion.

Attachment styles describe how infants respond to a caregiver’s presence and absence, especially during separation and reunion. Anxious/ambivalent attachment fits the pattern where the infant is visibly distressed when the caregiver leaves and then, upon return, seeks closeness but resists the caregiver’s comfort or pushes them away. This mix—high distress at separation plus ambivalence at reunion—reflects inconsistent caregiving, leaving the child uncertain about whether support will come when needed.

The other patterns don’t match as well: an avoidant style shows little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoids comfort after returning; a secure style combines distress at separation with a quick, soothing return to closeness; and stranger anxiety is about fear of unfamiliar people, not the caregiver’s absence and reunion.