Which of the following scenarios contains all the elements of secure attachment?

• A. A child appears confused or disoriented in the presence of the caregiver and shows inconsistent reactions to their departure and return.
• B. A child explores a new environment while occasionally looking back at their caregiver, becomes upset when the caregiver leaves, and is quickly comforted upon their return.
• C. A child ignores their caregiver when entering a new environment, shows little distress when the caregiver leaves, and avoids them upon return.
• D. A child is overly clingy, refuses to explore, and is difficult to soothe even when the caregiver returns.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of secure attachment in developmental psychology. Secure attachment is characterized by a child feeling safe to explore their environment while using their caregiver as a secure base, showing distress when the caregiver leaves, and being comforted quickly upon their return.
2. Step 2: Analyze each scenario by checking for the key elements of secure attachment: exploration with reference to the caregiver, distress upon separation, and ease of comfort upon reunion.
3. Step 3: For the first scenario, note that the child appears confused or disoriented and shows inconsistent reactions, which does not align with secure attachment.
4. Step 4: For the second scenario, observe that the child explores the environment while occasionally looking back at the caregiver, becomes upset when the caregiver leaves, and is quickly comforted upon their return—this matches the secure attachment pattern.
5. Step 5: For the third and fourth scenarios, identify behaviors such as ignoring the caregiver or being overly clingy and difficult to soothe, which are indicative of insecure attachment styles rather than secure attachment.