Final answer:
Martha's difficulty with her first romantic relationship and insecure attachment likely stems from unresolved issues in the trust versus mistrust stage and could also be affected by conflicts in the genital stage of Freudian development or by her established attachment style from infancy.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Martha is experiencing difficulty with her first romantic relationship and is insecurely attached to her partner, psychologists might link these issues to problems developed during the trust versus mistrust stage of Erikson's psychosocial development theory. This stage occurs during infancy (birth to 12 months) and is crucial for building the foundation of trust. If Martha's caregivers were unresponsive or inconsistent in meeting her needs as an infant, she may have developed feelings of anxiety, fear, and mistrust that could translate into insecurity within her adult relationships.
Furthermore, issues in the genital stage of Freudian psychosexual development, which is from puberty onwards, may also contribute to difficulties in romantic relationships. This stage involves a sexual reawakening where individuals begin to develop mature romantic interests. If there were unresolved conflicts in earlier stages, such as the phallic stage (3-6 years), this might result in challenges forming healthy adult relationships.The concept of attachment styles, as studied by Ainsworth, also provides insight. Ainsworth's research with the Strange Situation procedure identified different patterns of attachment between infants and caregivers. Insecure attachment styles can affect adult relationships, possibly explaining Martha's difficulty with forming a secure romantic relationship.