An infant who is inconsistent, clingy, and seeks a lot of reassurance demonstrates which attachment pattern?

An infant who is inconsistent, clingy, and seeks a lot of reassurance demonstrates which attachment pattern?

• A. Ambivalent & Anxious attachment
• B. Secure attachment
• C. Avoidant attachment
• D. Disorganized attachment

Answer: (A)

When caregivers are inconsistent in their responsiveness, infants learn to be anxious about whether comfort will be there. That leads them to cling and seek a lot of reassurance, often having trouble calming down or feeling secure even when the caregiver returns. This pattern is known as anxious-ambivalent (often called ambivalent or resistant) attachment. The key idea is that inconsistent caregiving creates insecurity and heightened neediness: the child wants closeness but remains wary about whether reassurance will come, unlike secure infants who use the caregiver as a stable base, or avoidant infants who seem indifferent to closeness, or disorganized infants who show confused or unpredictable behavior.

When caregivers are inconsistent in their responsiveness, infants learn to be anxious about whether comfort will be there. That leads them to cling and seek a lot of reassurance, often having trouble calming down or feeling secure even when the caregiver returns. This pattern is known as anxious-ambivalent (often called ambivalent or resistant) attachment. The key idea is that inconsistent caregiving creates insecurity and heightened neediness: the child wants closeness but remains wary about whether reassurance will come, unlike secure infants who use the caregiver as a stable base, or avoidant infants who seem indifferent to closeness, or disorganized infants who show confused or unpredictable behavior.