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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development pp 81–83Cite as

Ambivalent Attachment

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Synonyms

Anxious attachment; Attachment classifications; Attachment patterns; Attachment styles; Insecure attachment; Insecure-resistant attachment; Resistant attachment; Strange situation

Definition

Ambivalent attachment is a form of insecure attachment characterized by inconsistent responses of the caregivers and by the child’s feelings of anxiety and preoccupation about the caregiver’s availability.

Description

Ambivalent attachment is one of the attachment patterns categorized in the Strange Situation, and it is classified as C. This type of attachment is characterized by caregivers who respond to the infant’s needs in inconsistent ways, sometimes being neglectful and sometimes responsive. The infant develops an anxious and preoccupied pattern of attachment in which he or she is not sure when the caregiver will respond to his or her needs. As a coping mechanism, the infant develops two strategies, one of clinginess and proximity seeking, and one of avoidance, indifference, or...

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References

  1. Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, N. C., Walters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

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  2. Cassidy, J., & Berlin, L. J. (1994). The insecure-ambivalent pattern of attachment: Theory and research. Child Development, 64, 971–991.

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  3. Haft, W. L., & Slade, A. (1989). Affect attunement and maternal attachment: A pilot study. Infant Mental Health Journal, 10, 157–172.

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  4. Isabella, R. A., & Belsky, J. (1991). Interactional synchrony of the origins of infant-mother attachment: A replication study. Child Development, 62, 373–384.

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  5. Siegel, D. (1999). The developing mind. New York: Guilford Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Developmental Psychology, Fordham University, GSAS, 839 West End Avenue, #4a, New York, NY, 10025, USA

    Raquel Plotka

Authors
  1. Raquel Plotka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raquel Plotka .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Cite this entry

Plotka, R. (2011). Ambivalent Attachment. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_104

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_104

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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