types of attachment

• Avoidant attachment


  One of the types of attachment in Bowlby's theory
• Strange Situation observation


  • Aims to observe key attachment behaviours to assess the quality of a baby's attachment to a caregiver
  • Takes place in a controlled room with a two-way mirror and/or cameras
  • Behaviours observed include proximity-seeking, exploration and secure-base behaviour, stranger anxiety, separation anxiety, and response to reunion
• Types of attachment


  • Secure attachment (Type B)
  • Insecure-avoidant attachment (Type A)
  • Insecure-resistant attachment (Type C)
• Secure attachment


  Babies explore happily but regularly go back to their caregiver (proximity seeking and secure-base behaviour), show moderate separation distress and stranger anxiety, and require and accept comfort from the caregiver in the reunion stage
• Insecure-avoidant attachment


  Babies explore freely but do not seek proximity or show secure-base behaviour, show little or no reaction when their caregiver leaves and little stranger anxiety, and make little effort to make contact when the caregiver returns and may even avoid such contact
• Insecure-resistant attachment


  Babies seek greater proximity than others and so explore less, show high levels of stranger and separation distress but they resist comfort when reunited with their caregiver
• Secure attachment is associated with better outcomes in later childhood and adulthood, while insecure-resistant attachment is associated with the worst outcomes
• The Strange Situation has good inter-rater reliability, with agreement on attachment type in 85% of cases
• The Strange Situation may be culture-bound and not a valid measure of attachment in different cultural contexts, as babies have different experiences in different cultures that may affect their responses
• Mary Main and Judith Saleman identified a fourth category of attachment - disorganised or Type D attachment, a mix of resistant and avoidant behaviours
• Type D babies are unusual and have generally experienced some form of severe neglect or abuse