Types of Attachment Styles

Ambivalent attachment (5-15% of low risk samples) In the SS, these infants were more alert of the whereabouts of mother while playing. They were very upset when she left the room, immediately went to her upon return and got very clingy.

Home » Adult Attachment Styles » Understanding the Needs of the Anxious/Preoccupied Attachment Style. Adult Attachment Styles, Relationships, Romantic Relationships Understanding the Needs of the Anxious/Preoccupied Attachment Style. I recently read Attached by Amir Levine and it has really opened my eyes to the importance of understanding attachment dynamics in our relationships. This ...

Interestingly, a recent meta-review of attachment research has provided other “evidence for the intergenerational transmission of attachment style;” it has also demonstrated important links between parents’ avoidant styles of caregiving and their children’s avoidant attachment, especially in older children and adolescents.

Studies have shown that 20-40 percent of the general population has a degree of disorganized attachment, while 80 percent of children who have been abused have a disorganized attachment to their parent. Disorganized attachment can be passed from generation to generation, because parents who struggle with unresolved trauma themselves may have trouble tolerating a range of emotions in their child.

The fearful-avoidant attachment style may be one of the most difficult styles to understand. It is characterized by a strong desire to protect oneself and to avoid relationship, while on the other hand still having a strong desire to be in relationship.

According to Dr. Lisa Firestone, “One of the proven ways to change our attachment style is by forming an attachment with someone who had a more secure attachment style than what we’ve experienced. We can also talk to a therapist, as the therapeutic relationship can help create a more secure attachment. We can continue to get to know ...

Secure attachment (55-65% in non-clinical populations) In the Strange Situation (SS), the infants used the mom as a secure base from which to explore. The infants noticed when mom left the room and protested.