Are You as Secure as You Think?

Find Out with a Professional Attachment Assessment

Attachment theory is one of the most widely studied developmental theories, originating from John Bowlby's research in the 1950s. This theory examines the bonds formed between children and their caregivers and how these bonds impact psychological development. Despite its popularity, the concepts of attachment theory are often misunderstood and distorted, leading to misconceptions among both professionals and those seeking help. This article aims to provide a basic yet sound framework for understanding attachment conditioning. To find out your attachment pattern, check out our professional assessments: the Adult Attachment Interview and the Adult Attachment Projective.

The Origins of Attachment Theory

John Bowlby developed attachment theory after studying the effects of child separation in orphanages during World War II. He observed lifelong detrimental effects in children separated from their parents, such as temper outbursts, sullenness, disobedience, and bed-wetting. Interestingly, these negative effects were seen regardless of whether the parents were caring or abusive.

Bowlby's work emphasized that "attachment" referred to a specific set of behaviors and states that facilitate care-seeking. His observations led to the conclusion that children need a stable and reliable caregiver to form a secure attachment, which is crucial for their development.

Mary Ainsworth and the Strange Situation

Mary Ainsworth's research showed that responding promptly to an infant's crying is beneficial. Contrary to early behavioral theories, her findings demonstrated that children whose mothers responded quickly to their cries, overall cried less by the end of the first year. This supported Bowlby's belief that showing affection fosters confidence in caregiver availability, reducing distress.

Ainsworth also developed the concepts of "secure base" and "haven of safety." A secure base allows the child to explore confidently, while a haven of safety is the child's proximity-seeking behavior when distressed. These concepts are fundamental to understanding attachment behaviors. A secure base is when caregivers are reliably available, instilling confidence in the child to explore the world.

As a result of her extensive at home observations of child-parent interactions, Ainsworth devised the Strange Situation, a protocol to assess attachment in young children. This involved observing infants' reactions to staged separations and reunions with their caregivers. She found that maternal sensitivity directly correlated with attachment outcomes. Children with sensitive caregivers were more likely to explore and seek comfort when distressed, indicating secure attachment.Based on these reactions, Ainsworth identified three main attachment styles in infants: secure, anxious-avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent.

Ainsworth's research expanded on John Bowlby's initial ideas by classifying different attachment styles. This categorization helped explain how early relationships with caregivers shape a child's emotional and social development.

Sensitivity and Maternal Coherence

Ainsworth's work emphasized the role of caregiver sensitivity. She proposed that a child's attachment style is influenced by the caregiver's responsiveness and consistency in meeting the child's needs. Secure attachment develops when caregivers are attuned and responsive to their babies' cues. The quality of sensitivity between prototypically secure babies and their caregivers was on average 7.5 out of 9, on a scale 1 to 9 with 1 being least sensitive and 9 being most sensitive care. The average sensitivity scores for caregivers with insecure infants was between 2-3. If it's not clear yet, the quality of care is significantly poorer in insecure dyads. What letter grade would you give someone that scored around a 2 out of 9?

Ainsworth's sensitivity scales became a strong predictor of secure attachment. Sensitivity refers to the caregiver's ability to perceive and accurately interpret an infant's signals and respond appropriately. Insensitive caregiving, characterized by missed cues, incorrect responses, and mistimed reactions, leads to poorer attachment outcomes.

Sensitive caregiving is akin to mentalizing, which includes understanding the self and others, considering past and present contexts. Ainsworth's research highlighted that maternal coherence, or the caregiver's reflectiveness and ability to speak about their caregiving, strongly correlates with secure attachment. 

Attachment Classifications

The Strange Situation revealed three main attachment classifications:

1. Secure (B): Infants explore confidently, seek comfort when distressed, and show little resistance or avoidance of the caregiver.

2. Anxious-Avoidant (A): Infants show less separation anxiety, avoid the caregiver, and engage with toys half-heartedly to distract themselves.

3. Anxious-Ambivalent (C): Infants exhibit proximity-seeking behaviors combined with anger and resistance, indicating a lack of confidence in caregiver availability.

Anxious-ambivalent infants have hyperactivated attachment systems, constantly seeking proximity and showing intense emotion and worry. Anxious-avoidant infants suppress their needs to avoid potential rejection or punishment.

Mary Ainsworth's work with the Strange Situation and her focus on attachment styles provided a significant advancement in understanding how early relationships influence a child's emotional development and future relationships. Ainsworth's research shows that early attachment styles have a lasting impact on a person's life. Understanding these styles can be helpful in explaining and improving adult relationships.

graph TD
    A[Parent's Physical and Emotional Availability] --> B[Child's Perception of Safety]

    B --> C[Consistent, Loving Care]
    B --> D[Neglect or Rejection]
    B --> E[Inconsistent Care]
    B --> F[Trauma or Fear]

    C --> G[Secure Attachment]
    D --> H[Avoidant Attachment]
    E --> I[Anxious Attachment]
    F --> J[Disorganized Attachment]

    G --> K[Responsive Parenting Style]
    H --> L[Emotionally Distant Parenting Style]
    I --> M[Overinvolved Parenting Style]
    J --> N[Unpredictable Parenting Style]

    K --> O[Next Generation Parenting]
    L --> O
    M --> O
    N --> O

    style A fill:#F5E8D3,stroke:#8A6E4F,stroke-width:2px;
    style B fill:#F9F9F9,stroke:#666,stroke-width:2px;
    style C fill:#CFF0D6,stroke:#1F8E45,stroke-width:2px;
    style D fill:#D6EFFF,stroke:#3399FF,stroke-width:2px;
    style E fill:#FFE5CC,stroke:#FF8C1A,stroke-width:2px;
    style F fill:#F4D9FF,stroke:#B066CC,stroke-width:2px;
    style G fill:#CFF0D6,stroke:#1F8E45,stroke-width:2px;
    style H fill:#D6EFFF,stroke:#3399FF,stroke-width:2px;
    style I fill:#FFE5CC,stroke:#FF8C1A,stroke-width:2px;
    style J fill:#F4D9FF,stroke:#B066CC,stroke-width:2px;
    style K fill:#CFF0D6,stroke:#1F8E45,stroke-width:2px;
    style L fill:#D6EFFF,stroke:#3399FF,stroke-width:2px;
    style M fill:#FFE5CC,stroke:#FF8C1A,stroke-width:2px;
    style N fill:#F4D9FF,stroke:#B066CC,stroke-width:2px;
    style O fill:#F2F2F2,stroke:#808080,stroke-width:2px;

Mary Main and the Adult Attachment Interview

Mary Main extended Ainsworth's findings to adults by developing the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Her aim was to  "surprise the unconscious" into revealing the underlying attachment strategies through speech patterns. This structured interview assesses underlying attachment strategies based on language use and implied states regarding attachment. Main demonstrated that attachment strategies develop in response to caregiver behavior, forming internal working models that shape expectations about oneself and the world. Remarkably, 84% of the time, the attachment conditioning of the primary caregiver determined by the AAI accurately predicted the attachment style of the child. 

The AAI and Strange Situation are coded and scored by trained specialists, providing reliable assessments of attachment. In contrast, self-report measures like the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR) are less accurate and have little or no correlation to the Strange Situation or AAI. Self-report measures are limited by the individual's ability to reflect on their states of mind. Securely attached individuals tend to have higher reflective ability and score more accurately on self-report measures, while insecurely attached individuals have poorer introspection and in turn the results can be all over the board. The developmental psychology assessments like the Strange Situation and the Adult Attachment Interview are not limited by this as an outsider observer provides the score. If you’re curious about your attachment strategies, consider scheduling an Adult Attachment Interview with a trained specialist.

Conclusion

Attachment theory emphasizes the importance of caregiver sensitivity and responsiveness in shaping a child's attachment style. The Strange Situation and the Adult Attachment Interview remain gold standards for evaluating attachment outcomes in infants and adults. Understanding these foundational concepts helps provide a more accurate and nuanced perspective on attachment, enabling better support and interventions for individuals and families. For those looking to deepen their understanding of attachment, check out our Attachment Courses and Masterclass to expand your knowledge and practical skills.

Strange Situation Procedure, Episode Details and Interactions: The episodes illustrate varying levels of separation and reunion between the mother and infant, with the addition of a stranger to observe the infant's attachment behavior and response to stress. Color key: Red indicates separation episodes, green marks reunion episodes, and yellow represents episodes involving the stranger.
Episode	Participants Involved	Duration	Description
1	Mother, Infant, Observer	30 seconds	The observer brings the mother and baby into the room, then exits.
2	Mother, Infant	3 minutes	The mother remains passive while the infant explores. Play is encouraged after 2 minutes if needed.
3	Stranger, Mother, Infant	3 minutes	A stranger enters. Minute 1: silent. Minute 2: talks to the mother. Minute 3: approaches the baby. The mother leaves after 3 minutes.
4	Stranger, Infant	3 minutes or less	First separation. The stranger adjusts their behavior based on the baby's actions.
5	Mother, Infant	3 minutes or more	First reunion. The mother greets and comforts the baby, then encourages play before leaving again.
6	Infant	3 minutes or less	Second separation. The infant is alone.
7	Stranger, Infant	3 minutes or less	Continuation of the second separation. The stranger re-enters and adapts to the baby's behavior.
8	Mother, Infant	3 minutes	Second reunion. The mother returns to greet the baby, while the stranger exits.