Jose is a 6 year old whose parents' threats and neglect have led to attachment issues. Which attachment pattern best describes his fear of attachment and expectation of rejection?

Jose is a 6 year old whose parents' threats and neglect have led to attachment issues. Which attachment pattern best describes his fear of attachment and expectation of rejection?

• A. Anxious resistant attachment
• B. Insecure attachment
• C. None of the above
• D. Anxious avoidant attachment

Answer: (D)

Early caregiving shapes how a child approaches closeness and support. When a child experiences threats and neglect, they learn to protect themselves by keeping emotional distance and anticipating that closeness will not be met with care. This leads to an anxious-avoidant attachment pattern, where the child shows fear of becoming too close and expects that attempts to connect will be rejected or unresponsive. They may appear emotionally distant or self-reliant, suppressing distress rather than seeking comfort. This contrasts with anxious-resistant attachment, where the child clings and then resists comfort after distress, showing confusion about how to get care. And “insecure attachment” is a broader category that doesn’t specify the particular coping style. So the description of fear of attachment coupled with expecting rejection fits anxious-avoidant attachment most closely.

Early caregiving shapes how a child approaches closeness and support. When a child experiences threats and neglect, they learn to protect themselves by keeping emotional distance and anticipating that closeness will not be met with care. This leads to an anxious-avoidant attachment pattern, where the child shows fear of becoming too close and expects that attempts to connect will be rejected or unresponsive. They may appear emotionally distant or self-reliant, suppressing distress rather than seeking comfort.

This contrasts with anxious-resistant attachment, where the child clings and then resists comfort after distress, showing confusion about how to get care. And “insecure attachment” is a broader category that doesn’t specify the particular coping style. So the description of fear of attachment coupled with expecting rejection fits anxious-avoidant attachment most closely.