Which description matches Secure attachment?

Which description matches Secure attachment?

• A. Confident when exploring a new environment, distressed when the caregiver leaves
• B. Resists being held by parents
• C. Extreme distress when parents leave
• D. Do not go to caregiver once reunited

Answer: (A)

Secure attachment means the child uses the caregiver as a safe base for exploration and feels secure enough to explore when the caregiver is present, but becomes distressed during separation and easily seeks comfort from the caregiver again after reunion. The described behavior—confident when exploring a new environment while the caregiver is there, and distressed when the caregiver leaves—fits this pattern best. It shows the child can explore with the caregiver nearby and relies on that caregiver for reassurance when separation occurs. Other descriptions point to different patterns. Resisting being held suggests avoidance or ambivalence rather than a secure base. Extreme distress at separation without evidence of seeking comfort or returning to the caregiver afterward fits a different insecure pattern. Not going to the caregiver upon reunion reflects avoidance rather than the responsive seeking of comfort characteristic of secure attachment.

Secure attachment means the child uses the caregiver as a safe base for exploration and feels secure enough to explore when the caregiver is present, but becomes distressed during separation and easily seeks comfort from the caregiver again after reunion. The described behavior—confident when exploring a new environment while the caregiver is there, and distressed when the caregiver leaves—fits this pattern best. It shows the child can explore with the caregiver nearby and relies on that caregiver for reassurance when separation occurs.

Other descriptions point to different patterns. Resisting being held suggests avoidance or ambivalence rather than a secure base. Extreme distress at separation without evidence of seeking comfort or returning to the caregiver afterward fits a different insecure pattern. Not going to the caregiver upon reunion reflects avoidance rather than the responsive seeking of comfort characteristic of secure attachment.