Parenting Styles & Infant Attachment

Secure Attachment

• An infant who demonstrates secure attachment to his mother shows signs of distress when his mother leaves the room. When it comes to interacting with strangers, the infant might be hesitant and afraid to react with another child without his mother present, but if she is in the room he is comfortable and relaxed. Upon seeing his mother again, he will be elated. An infant with secure attachment uses his mother as a "safe base" when exploring a new place. These infants often have parents who are authoritative, which means they are strict but only in a healthy, non-overbearing manner. The authoritative style of parenting is considered the ideal type resulting in the healthiest children. Seventy percent of infants have the secure attachment style.

Resistant Attachment

• A child with resistant attachment shows signs of severe distress when her mother leaves. She will likely scream and wail long after her mother has gone. An infant with resistant attachment is constantly afraid of interacting with strangers, and will not interact with them even if her mother is present. When it comes to being reunited with her mother, she will approach her but resist contact, sometimes even forcing her away if she tries to get close to her. This type of infant cries often and does not explore as often as the other two types. Infants with resistant attachment often have parents who are authoritarian, which means that they are overly strict and unreasonable in their requests. This causes the children to feel distant from their parents and afraid of interacting with strangers. Fifteen percent of infants have this attachment style.

Avoidant Attachment

• An infant with avoidant attachment is complacent when his mother leaves the room. He is also okay with strangers and will play with them at all times, whether or not his mother is present. Furthermore, when his mother returns, he does not seem too excited and is about as complacent as he is when she leaves. One unique trait of an infant with avoidant attachment is that he is able to be held and consoled by a complete stranger as well as if his own mother was comforting him. Infants with this attachment style often have parents with the permissive parenting style, which means they allow their children to do what they wish, and consider themselves friends instead of parents. Fifteen percent of infants have this attachment style.

Infant Attachment Style's Affect on Adulthood

• Ainsworth stated that infant attachment styles often are indicators of personality traits that are permanent, lasting into adulthood. Infants with secure attachment tend to be adults who are relaxed, confident in themselves and determined when it comes to completing tasks. Infants with resistant attachment tend to be more cautious adults who have more trouble completing day-to-day tasks and might struggle with intimacy in relationships. Finally, infants with avoidant attachment might grow to be adults who also struggle with intimacy because they will not invest much emotion in social interaction, being unwilling to share thoughts and feelings with others. However, experts say that this is not the rule or a 100 percent certain indicator of personality type.