Secure, Insecure-avoidant and Insecure-resistant

• Types of attachment


  • Secure
  • Insecure-avoidant
  • Insecure resistant
• Secure attachment


  Most common attachment type in the Strange Situation experiment conducted by Ainsworth, and most common globally
• Secure attachment (Type B)


  • 66-70% of infants classified as secure
  • Happy to explore the room and play, using the Primary Care Giver (PCG) as a safe base
  • Distressed when left by the PCG so demonstrated separation anxiety
  • Avoided the stranger and showed stranger anxiety
  • On reunion with the PCG, they were happy and any upset disappeared very quickly
• Insecure-avoidant attachment


  Second most common attachment type in Ainsworth's experiment, but varies in follow-up studies
• Insecure-avoidant attachment is never the dominant attachment type in any culture where the strange situation has been used
• Insecure attachment: Avoidant (Type A)


  • 18-20% of infants were insecure avoidant
  • Happy to explore the room and play but did not refer to the PCG
  • Showed no sign of distress when left by the PCG: No separation anxiety
  • Treated the stranger as they would the PCG, ignoring them, and so showed no stranger anxiety
  • On reunion with the PCG, they tended to ignore them and carried on with what they were doing
• Insecure resistant attachment


  Least common of the three attachment types identified by Ainsworth, but varies culturally
• Insecure resistant attachment is never the dominant attachment style in any culture studied so far
• Insecure attachment: Resistant (Type C)


  • Around 10-12% of infants were classified as insecure resistant
  • Sometimes referred to as Insecure Attachment Ambivalent
  • Did not explore the room and were reluctant to leave the PCG's side
  • Distressed when left by the PCG so demonstrated separation anxiety
  • Avoided the stranger and showed stranger anxiety
  • On reunion with the PCG, they were not able to be calmed down and protested at the PCG as comfort was offered
  • Resisted the PCG's attempt to calm them, often arching their back to move away from them, even though they were upset when left and clearly wanted the PCG to return
• Types of Attachment


  • Type B
  • Type A
  • Type C
• Type B


  • Plays and explores the room using the PCG as a safe base
  • Does not like the stranger
  • Cries when left
  • Joy on the reunion and is easily comforted by PCG
• Type A


  • Plays and explores but does not refer back to the PCG
  • No fear of the stranger
  • Does not cry when left and does not react to being left
  • Ignores PCG on the reunion
• Type C


  • Will not play or explore the room, unless PCG is with them
  • Does not like the stranger
  • Cries when left
  • Is upset about the reunion and cannot be comforted
• Type B infants make up 66-70% of the population
• Type A infants make up 15-22% of the population
• Type C infants make up 10-12% of the population
• Dyad


  The relationship between the PCG-Infant
• Dyad between PCG-Infant


  Determines the Attachment type of the infant
• Attachment type of the infant


  Has implications for later relationships
• Insecure Avoidant (Type A)


  • PCG has been unresponsive to the infant's needs and has often ignored them
  • The infant has learned not to cry or seek attention as it does not work
  • They will learn to hide their emotions from others
  • They fear rejection and so may reject first if they think a relationship is ending or becoming too difficult
• Secure (Type B)


  • This is an infant who has had a responsive PCG who has been there for the child when needed
  • They are secure in the knowledge that they are loved and use this as a basis to explore, play and form other relationships
  • They tend to have stable relationships with others as they are secure in themselves
• Insecure Resistant (Type C)


  • This is an infant who has been treated ambivalently by their PCG: They have been changeable
  • The infant does not know what to expect so they act in a clingy manner to ensure they get the loving/caring PCG as much as possible
  • They fear rejection and so will cling to the other person to prevent this: Although ultimately this makes it more likely that the relationship will end
• Other researchers around the world have found very similar attachment types to Ainsworth
• There is strong evidence for the impact attachment types have on later relationships
• Main et al (1986) found a fourth type of infant who did not fit into the criteria for the existing three types
• Main categorised them as Type D: Disorganised and it was found that these were children who had suffered some form of abuse in early infancy
• The fact that a 4th category was found some 16 years after the original raises issues about what else may have been missed