An infant with inconsistent reactions to the caregiver's departure and return demonstrates which attachment style?

An infant with inconsistent reactions to the caregiver's departure and return demonstrates which attachment style?

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

Answer: (A)

Inconsistent reactions to the caregiver’s departure and return reflect a disorganized attachment pattern. This style is marked by a lack of a consistent strategy for seeking comfort or exploring the environment when the caregiver is present or absent. The infant may show contradictory behaviors—approaching the caregiver but then freezing, spinning, or displaying confused or dazed actions—right after the caregiver returns. Such disorganization often arises from frightening or unpredictable caregiving, or a chaotic environment, which prevents the child from forming a coherent plan for staying close or exploring. In contrast, secure attachment would show clear distress at separation and comfort upon reunion, with the child resuming exploration. Avoidant attachment features little distress upon separation and minimal seeking of contact upon return, while ambivalent/anxious attachment involves high distress during separation and inconsistent, both seeking and resisting, contact upon reunion. The key difference here is the lack of a single, organized response pattern, which points to disorganized attachment.

Inconsistent reactions to the caregiver’s departure and return reflect a disorganized attachment pattern. This style is marked by a lack of a consistent strategy for seeking comfort or exploring the environment when the caregiver is present or absent. The infant may show contradictory behaviors—approaching the caregiver but then freezing, spinning, or displaying confused or dazed actions—right after the caregiver returns. Such disorganization often arises from frightening or unpredictable caregiving, or a chaotic environment, which prevents the child from forming a coherent plan for staying close or exploring.

In contrast, secure attachment would show clear distress at separation and comfort upon reunion, with the child resuming exploration. Avoidant attachment features little distress upon separation and minimal seeking of contact upon return, while ambivalent/anxious attachment involves high distress during separation and inconsistent, both seeking and resisting, contact upon reunion. The key difference here is the lack of a single, organized response pattern, which points to disorganized attachment.