Question

What are the typical characteristics of the mothers of infants with certain attachment classifications?

a. Inconsistent caregiving for avoidant infants
b. Responsive and available for secure infants
c. Overbearing and controlling for anxious-ambivalent infants
d. Neglectful and disinterested for all classifications

Answer 1

Attachment styles are linked to distinct caregiving behaviors: secure attachment arises from responsive caregiving, avoidant attachment from insensitive care, resistant attachment from inconsistent response, and disorganized attachment is often linked to abuse.

Step-by-step explanation:

Attachment research, primarily conducted by Mary Ainsworth, has identified several attachment styles between infants and their caregivers, each with distinct parental characteristics. In the case of secure attachment, infants typically have caregivers who are consistently sensitive and responsive to their needs. Infants with avoidant attachment likely experience insensitive and inattentive caregiving. Meanwhile, children who exhibit resistant attachment often have caregivers who provide an inconsistent level of response to their needs, which might manifest as being overbearing or controlling. Lastly, disorganized attachment is commonly seen in children who have experienced abuse, showing odd or erratic behavior upon reunion with their caregiver.

Answer 2

Mothers of securely attached infants are responsive and available, leading to children who use the caregiver as a source of comfort and security. Inconsistent caregiving is associated with anxious-ambivalent attachment, and insensitive caregiving is linked to avoidant attachment. Children with disorganized attachment often have histories of abuse, leading to erratic behaviors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The typical characteristics of the mothers of infants with certain attachment classifications are closely tied to the type of attachment observed in their children. Responsive and available caregiving is characteristic of mothers with securely attached infants, where the infants display distress upon separation but are happy to reunite with the caregiver, using them as a secure base for exploration and comfort during stress. Inconsistent caregiving often leads to anxious-ambivalent attachment in children, who are clingy and have difficulty being comforted upon the caregiver's return. Mothers of infants with avoidant attachment are postulated to be insensitive and inattentive, leading to children who are unresponsive to the caregiver and do not prefer them over strangers or show a strong positive reaction upon reunion. On the other hand, disorganized attachment is often seen in children who have experienced abuse, and such children exhibit erratic or freezing behavior when the caregiver returns.