Which attachment style is characterized by infants who resist being held and do not seek comfort from the caregiver after the caregiver returns?

Which attachment style is characterized by infants who resist being held and do not seek comfort from the caregiver after the caregiver returns?

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

Answer: (C)

In attachment theory, infants develop patterns of seeking closeness and comfort based on how consistently caregivers respond to their needs. An avoidant attachment is shown when the infant resists being held and does not seek comfort from the caregiver after the caregiver returns, appearing emotionally distant and relatively unmoved by the reunion. This contrasts with anxious/ambivalent infants, who stay highly distressed and continue to seek comfort, and secure infants, who are upset by separation but then eagerly seek out and are soothed by the caregiver. Stranger anxiety refers to wariness of unfamiliar people, not specifically to the caregiver’s return.

In attachment theory, infants develop patterns of seeking closeness and comfort based on how consistently caregivers respond to their needs. An avoidant attachment is shown when the infant resists being held and does not seek comfort from the caregiver after the caregiver returns, appearing emotionally distant and relatively unmoved by the reunion. This contrasts with anxious/ambivalent infants, who stay highly distressed and continue to seek comfort, and secure infants, who are upset by separation but then eagerly seek out and are soothed by the caregiver. Stranger anxiety refers to wariness of unfamiliar people, not specifically to the caregiver’s return.