Captain Cranks
Footballguy
Attachment style theory, founded by psychoanalyst John Bowlby in the 1950s and expanded by Mary Ainsworth, outlines how your bond with your primary caregivers sets the foundation for how you navigate relationships throughout life. According to the theory, there are four types of attachment styles:
Anyone else have a similar attachment style or would like to share which category best defines them?
- Secure - Securely attached adults tend to hold positive self-image and positive image of others, meaning that they had both a sense of worthiness and an expectation that other people were generally accepting and responsive. Such individuals typically display openness regarding expressing emotions and thoughts with others and are comfortable with depending on others for help, while also being comfortable with others depending on them.
- Preoccupied (Anxious) - Individuals with an preoccupied attachment (called anxious when referring to children) hold a negative self-image and a positive image of others, meaning that they have a sense of unworthiness but generally evaluated others positively. As such, they strive for self-acceptance by attempting to gain approval and validation from their relationships with significant others. They also require higher levels of contact and intimacy from relationships with others.
- Dismissive Avoidant - A dismissive attachment style is demonstrated by adults who hold a positive self-image and a negative image of others. They prefer to avoid close relationships and intimacy with others in order to remain a sense of independence and invulnerability. This means they have difficulty with intimacy and value autonomy and self-reliance
- Fearful - Adults with a fearful-avoidant attachment style (also referred to as disorganized) hold a negative model of self and also a negative model of others, fearing both intimacy and autonomy. Like dismissing avoidant, they often cope with distancing themselves from relationship partners, but unlike dismissing individuals they continue to experience anxiety and neediness concerning their partner’s love, reliability and trustworthiness
Anyone else have a similar attachment style or would like to share which category best defines them?