Distinguish between secure and insecure attachment patterns in infancy.

Distinguish between secure and insecure attachment patterns in infancy.

• A. Insecure attachment arises from consistent caregiving; secure from inconsistent care.
• B. Secure from responsive caregiving leading to comfort with closeness; insecure from inconsistent care leading to anxiety/avoidance.
• C. Both secure and insecure attachment patterns are influenced by caregiver consistency.
• D. Insecure attachment leads to more comfort with closeness in relationships.

Answer: (B)

Attachment patterns in infancy depend on how consistently a caregiver responds to the baby’s needs. When a caregiver is reliably sensitive and responsive, the infant learns that closeness is safe and that help is available when needed. This creates a secure attachment: the child uses the caregiver as a safe base, easily seeks proximity when upset, and feels comfortable exploring the world because they trust support will be there. If care is inconsistent, the baby never quite learns that the caregiver will be there in a predictable way. That uncertainty breeds anxiety about whether needs will be met and can lead to patterns of insecurity characterized by worry and preoccupation with the caregiver or, alternatively, avoidance of closeness. This describes insecure attachment, where the child may either cling and become distressed or show little interest in contact, reflecting disrupted expectations about relationships. So the statement that secure attachment comes from responsive caregiving leading to comfort with closeness, while insecure attachment comes from inconsistent care leading to anxiety or avoidance, matches what research shows about how early caregiving shapes how children relate to others later.

Attachment patterns in infancy depend on how consistently a caregiver responds to the baby’s needs. When a caregiver is reliably sensitive and responsive, the infant learns that closeness is safe and that help is available when needed. This creates a secure attachment: the child uses the caregiver as a safe base, easily seeks proximity when upset, and feels comfortable exploring the world because they trust support will be there.

If care is inconsistent, the baby never quite learns that the caregiver will be there in a predictable way. That uncertainty breeds anxiety about whether needs will be met and can lead to patterns of insecurity characterized by worry and preoccupation with the caregiver or, alternatively, avoidance of closeness. This describes insecure attachment, where the child may either cling and become distressed or show little interest in contact, reflecting disrupted expectations about relationships.

So the statement that secure attachment comes from responsive caregiving leading to comfort with closeness, while insecure attachment comes from inconsistent care leading to anxiety or avoidance, matches what research shows about how early caregiving shapes how children relate to others later.