Which attachment style describes an infant who readily separates from the parent and avoids contact with the parent upon reunion?

Which attachment style describes an infant who readily separates from the parent and avoids contact with the parent upon reunion?

• A. Anxious Resistant Attachment
• B. Anxious Avoidant Attachment
• C. Disorganized-Disoriented Attachment
• D. Play

Answer: (B)

Anxious-avoidant attachment describes infants who minimize closeness to the caregiver, showing little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoiding contact when they return. This pattern fits someone who readily separates and then avoids the caregiver on reunion because the child has learned that seeking closeness doesn’t reliably bring comfort, often due to a caregiver who is unresponsive or rejecting. In contrast, anxious-resistant (ambivalent) attachment would involve considerable distress during separation and mixed, clingy or resistant behavior at reunion. Disorganized-disoriented attachment shows confused or contradictory actions. A option like “Play” isn’t an attachment pattern at all.

Anxious-avoidant attachment describes infants who minimize closeness to the caregiver, showing little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoiding contact when they return. This pattern fits someone who readily separates and then avoids the caregiver on reunion because the child has learned that seeking closeness doesn’t reliably bring comfort, often due to a caregiver who is unresponsive or rejecting.

In contrast, anxious-resistant (ambivalent) attachment would involve considerable distress during separation and mixed, clingy or resistant behavior at reunion. Disorganized-disoriented attachment shows confused or contradictory actions. A option like “Play” isn’t an attachment pattern at all.