Table 2.

Classifications of attachment in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers according to the Strange Situation Procedure

Infant and toddler classifications	Reunion behavior	Estimated prevalence in low risk samples
Secure	Direct expression of distress elicited by separation, active comfort-seeking,   resolution of distress, resumption of exploration.	65%
Avoidant	Minimal response to separation from the caregiver, though quality of exploration   may diminish, ignoring or actively avoiding the caregiver on reunion.	20%
Resistant	Intense distress induced by separation, attempts to obtain comfort are limited,   awkward or interrupted, little or incomplete resolution of distress on reunion, and   resistance of caregiver attempts to soothe.	10%
Disorganized	Anomalous reactions to caregiver that may include mixtures of rapid, incoherent   sequences of proximity-seeking, avoidance or resistance, or fearful of the parent,   or other behaviors indicating failure to use caregiver as an attachment figure (e.g.,   trying to get out of the door, preferring the stranger to the caregiver or showing   intensely fearful responses in presence of caregiver).	15%
Unclassifiable	Minimal social engagement with caregiver or stranger, little to no evidence of   proximity-seeking, avoidance or resistance directed to caregiver, minimal   emotional response to separation or reunion.	Rare
Preschool classifications
Secure	Reconnection with parent through gaze, verbal interaction, greeting; often   invitation to joint activity.	Unknown
Avoidant	Avoidance conveyed through child’s orientation away from parent, distance,   neutral affect, proximity for ‘business’ purposes (e.g., fixing toys).	Unknown
Dependent	Ambivalence about contact. Helplessness, whiney, petulant or forced   over-brightness; also coyness or hesitant, seemingly shy behavior.	Unknown
Disorganized	Similar to infant D pattern if not covered by Insecure/Other behaviors (see below).	Unknown
Controlling	Developmentally inappropriate attempts by the child to control the behavior of the   parent, through punitive or solicitous, caregiving behavior.	Unknown
Insecure/other	Varies with subtypes (below):	Rare
– A/C	combination of avoidant and dependent patterns
– disengaged	child mirrors parent’s lack of responsiveness
– inhibited/fearful	child fears the parent: compulsively compliant behavior
– affectively dysregulated	anxiety manifested as escalating ‘silly,’ ‘goofy,’ ‘hyper’ behavior.