Question

A 14-month old toddler is placed in an unfamiliar situation with the child’s mother, who then leaves the room for a time. When the mother returns, the child squirms and tries to get away from the mother when picked up, but also seems distressed when placed back on the floor. Mary Ainsworth would consider this evidence of with of the following?

a. Hyperactivity
b. Narcissistic personality type
c. A resistant or ambivalent attachment style
d. Disorganized behavior
e. Avoidance

Answer 1

Mary Ainsworth would consider this evidente of C. A resistance or ambivalent attachment style.

Step-by-step explanation:

As the name states, a child with this type of attachment tends to be weary of strangers and tends to not want to explore much. Even though the primary caregiver is present, the child can be resistant towards them once the exploring has ended.

In this case, the toddler was in an unfamiliar situation and the mother left, once she returned, the child is resistant towards her but also distressed when placed back on the floor.

He/she has a resistance/ambivalent attachment style.