Three-year-old Reggie is playing in his yard and feels frightened when he hears a dog bark on the other side of the fence. He runs to his mother, who is sitting in a chair reading the paper. Reggie wants to get in her lap and be comforted but she holds Reggie "at arms' length"and tells him to be a "big boy" and go play. Reggie is left to comfort himself. The next time Reggie is frightened, he suppresses his desire to run to his mother to be comforted. Ainsworth would describe Reggie as having a(n):

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reggie's behavior of suppressing his desire for comfort after his mother's dismissive response is indicative of an avoidant attachment style, where children learn to avoid seeking comfort from their caregivers because they expect to be rejected or their needs to be unmet.

Three-Year-Old Reggie Is Playing in His Yard and Feels Frightened