Final answer:
Tabitha's reaction to her mother leaving the room during the Strange Situation task suggests she has an insecure-anxious attachment style, characterized by significant distress when the caregiver leaves and difficulty in being comforted upon reunion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Tabitha’s behavior in the Strange Situation task, where she becomes very upset when her mother leaves, is indicative of an insecure-anxious attachment style. Insecure-anxious attachment can be characterized by children being extremely disturbed and showing intense distress during the absence of their attachment figure. Upon the return of the caregiver, these children may experience difficulty in calming down or might show ambivalent behavior towards the caregiver.
This attachment behavior is distinct from secure attachment, where children are upset when the caregiver leaves but are quickly comforted upon their return, and from insecure-avoidant attachment, where children are indifferent towards the caregiver's presence or absence. Disorganized attachment, meanwhile, includes more erratic behaviors, often observed in children who have experienced abuse and is not characterized by the anxious and upset response seen in Tabitha.