The 8 types of attachment (and their characteristics)

Human beings are social beings. And it is that not only to be productive members of a society, but also to enjoy proper psychological well-being, we need close contact with other people. But there are also those who, by being part of our closest circle, not only relate to each other, but also develop a very powerful affective bond.

And it is precisely in this context that a very interesting (and important) concept for Psychology and Ethology arises. We are talking about attachment. An intense emotional bond that makes us feel a special affective inclination towards someone or something. Talking about attachment is talking about bonds. And to speak of links is to appeal to the deepest human nature.

Attachment provides us with security, protection, and comfort., because this relationship is being consolidated with the people around us who show us that the relationship is reciprocal, thus being the axis around which human relationships revolve. Because it's not just a feeling. It is a phenomenon that is expressed with behaviors.

Now, does attachment always manifest itself in the same way? No. Far from it. Emotional attachment can take many different forms depending on what the psychological basis of affective bonding is. And this is precisely what we are going to explore in today's article and, as always, with the help of the most prestigious scientific publications.

What is attachment?

Attachment is an intense emotional bond that makes us feel a special affective inclination with someone or something that is expressed with proximity behaviors. Thus, we can understand it as an emotional bond that emerges between two people (although it can also be between a person and an object) and that makes us have preferences for physical closeness and also for emotional connection.

It is not a purely human phenomenon, since these links that we could classify as "attachment" have been observed in many other animals, but it is true that we, people, can feel this emotional inclination not only towards other human beings, but by pets, objects, property, etc.

John Bowlby, English psychologist, was one of the pioneers of "attachment theory". Analyzing, in the middle of the 20th century, how this attachment develops in the first stages of life, Bowlby established that this attachment had two basic functions. On the one hand, the biological one, as it is a way of guaranteeing protection (from our parents when we are babies) for survival. And on the other hand, psychological, to guarantee our emotional integrity and promote social and cultural learning.

In this context, later authors ended up developing what can be considered the behavioral characteristics of attachment. And it is that when we feel this emotional bond with someone (or something), observable behaviors emerge such as the constant intention to stay close to the person, take refuge in it in difficult moments on a psychological level, resist separation and feel an intimate contact that it goes beyond the physical with that person.

Attachment theory also established that this attachment evolves throughout life. During the first three months, we show inclination only towards stimuli of human faces or voices, so the attachment is felt for any member of the same species (the human). Later, between three and five months, the baby begins to recognize faces and voices, so she begins to show an inclination towards her relatives.

This link becomes so strong that, from six to twelve months, he begins to reject strangers, because he feels fear for those people who are not from his circle of attachment. And after twelve months, this rejection begins to fade and autonomy is gradually acquired to establish bonds of attachment with those around us.

Thus, we can understand attachment as an evolutionary mechanism that fosters our survival, but also as a phenomenon that goes beyond genetics and that, consolidating throughout life, makes us experience an intense emotional and affective connection with people around us.

What kinds of attachment exist?

Now that we have understood the biological and psychological bases of attachment, the time has come to investigate what has brought us together here today. The different types of attachment that exist. And it is that depending on how affective bonding is and how we emotionally and behaviorally handle said bonding, different kinds of attachment have been defined that we are going to analyze below.

1. Secure infant attachment

Secure infant attachment is one that, being present during infancy, consists of a healthy affective attachment. It is the most common form of attachment and the one in which the parents are the mechanism to get to know the world in a calm way. The connection of the child with them is deep, so the departure of these figures generates discomfort in him, always waiting for their return. The link is based on trust and there is no fear of abandonment, since the relationship is healthy.

2. Avoidant childhood attachment

Avoidant childhood attachment is one that, being present during childhood, is based on an incomplete affective attachment. The parents do not cover the needs of the child, so he grows up feeling little protected and little valued, being able to avoid contact with parental figures. Unlike the previous one, the departure of the parents does not cause discomfort and is not even pending their return.

3. Anxious Infant Attachment

Anxious childhood attachment, also known as ambivalent childhood attachment, is one that, being present during childhood, is based on a pathological fear of abandonment. The basis of his happiness and his emotional well-being is close contact with father figures, so when they are not present, the little one feels deep feelings of anguish and anxiety. The affective bond, then, is based on dependency.

4. Disorganized childhood attachment

Disorganized childhood attachment is one that, being present in childhood, is born as a combination of avoidant and anxious attachment. There are difficulties in establishing a deep bond with father figures but at the same time they experience a deep fear of abandonment. It is, therefore, the extreme opposite of secure attachment..

It usually arises as a result of negligent behavior of the parents, which make the child insecure, poorly manage emotions and have a tendency to develop explosive behaviors. It is a form of toxic bonding generally associated with situations of abuse or domestic violence.

5. Secure adult attachment

Having seen the four types of attachment in childhood, it is time to investigate these affective bonds that we develop in adult life. In secure adult attachment, we are able, as adults, to develop healthy affective bonds with family, friends and partners. Neither is there an excessive commitment (which leads to emotional dependence) but neither is there a constant fear of abandonment and loneliness.

With those people with whom we feel attached, we feel comfortable, confident and calm, without ever putting aside our independence or self-esteem. A) Yes, we are more likely to have lasting relationships where closeness and intimacy prevailto express our emotions, feelings and needs, to seek social support without losing autonomy and not to experience anxiety at the idea of ​​being abandoned.

6. Adult avoidant attachment

Adult avoidant attachment is one in which, after having grown up in a less affectionate environment, we feel, as adults, a rejection of commitment and affective bonding. Close relationships generate discomfort and, above all, autonomy prevails, preferring solitude to being in contact with other people. There is fear of emotional closeness.

There are problems trusting others and, being generally less sociable, these people do not feel comfortable in the most intimate relationships. At the same time, they tend not to express their emotions, feelings and needs and to express little emotion in relationships, appearing colder, thus being lonely people who believe that friendships, family or romantic relationships are of little importance.

7. Attachment anxious adult

Anxious adult attachment is one in which, as adults, we drag from childhood our fear of abandonment. We base happiness on relationships, thus developing a toxic dependence on affective bonds. Thus, we reject time alone and, especially in love relationships, we need to be in permanent contact with our partner. At the same time, there are self-esteem problems that, linked to this fear of loneliness, can lead us to find ourselves in toxic relationships.

8. Insecure adult attachment

Insecure adult attachment is one in which, as adults, we base our affective ties on insecurity. We constantly have doubts about everything, believing that at the slightest mistake they will reject us, that we are not enough, that they will betray us... These intrusive thoughts, which are a reflection of an insecure personality where self-esteem is diminished, end up taking their toll in our relationships. Hence, like all other pathological forms of attachment, it may be important to seek help from a mental health professional.