A twelve-month-old child enters an unfamiliar laboratory playroom with his mother. When she leaves, he is distressed. When she returns, he runs to her and hugs her close. After this intense reunion, he returns to playing. The child demonstrates the characteristics of________ attachment.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider this scenario: a year-old child is distressed when the mother leaves, warmly greets her and then returns to play after the reunion. This pattern aligns with a particular attachment style described in developmental psychology.
Option: secure – This option fits because securely attached infants show clear affective distress during separation and seek comfort from the caregiver upon reunion, then resume exploration and play with the caregiver acting as a secure base. The warmth and quick return to exploration after the reunion illustrate confidence in the caregiver’s availability and responsiveness.
Option: insecure – This category generally encompasses subtypes where the child either shows little distress on separation (avoidant) or is excessively distressed and ambivalent upon reunion (anxious/ambivalent). In this vignette, the child does display distress at separation but then uses the caregiver for soothing and promptly resumes playing, which argues against a persistent avoidant or anxious/ambivalent pattern.
Option: avoidant – An avoidant child typically shows little or no distress when the caregiver leaves and avoids contact upon return, instead continuing to explore independently. The described distress and the seeking of close contact during reunion contradict this pattern.
Option: anxious – An anxious/ambivalent attachment would involve intense distress at separation and an inconsistent or exaggerated need for closeness upon reunion, sometimes with difficulty calming down. The description of a quick, comfortable return to play after reuniting with the mother does not reflect prolonged or conflicted seeking of care characteristic of anxious attachment.
In summary, the observed sequence—distress at separation, a warm, immediate approach to contact upon reunion, followed by resumed exploration—best matches secure attachment, while the other options depict patterns that would involve different reunion behaviors or levels of distress.

A twelve-month-old child enters an unfamiliar laboratory playroom with his mother. When she leaves, he is distressed. When she returns, he runs to her and hugs her close. After this intense reunion, he returns to playing. The child demonstrates the characteristics of________ attachment.

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