Final answer:
The adult attachment style described is known as a dismissing attachment style, where the individual is self-reliant and avoids close relationships. This contrasts with secure attachment, which involves seeking proximity to an attachment figure during distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The adult attachment style characterized by being compulsively self-reliant, uncomfortable with getting close to others, emotionally distant, and downplaying the importance of intimate relationships is best described as a dismissing attachment style. In contrast, the secure attachment style involves the use of the attachment figure as a secure base from which to explore the environment and is sought out in times of stress, as seen in children who are distressed when separated from their caregivers but happy upon their return.
A preoccupied attachment style involves clinging behavior and being preoccupied with relationships, but this does not fit the characteristics described. Individuals with a dismissing attachment style often have caregivers who were insensitive and inattentive to their needs, leading to a self-reliant approach in adulthood that avoids close, emotional connections.