When Billie takes her son, Joel, to the park one day, he demands to be held and does not want to get down to play on the equipment. When another young mother comes over and strikes up a conversation with Billie, Joel hides his head in his mother's skirt, and refuses to play with the other woman's child. Eventually, Billie leaves Joel with the other woman briefly so she can buy drinks for all of them at the concession stand. Joel screams and cries, and is inconsolable. Joel's attachment relationship with his mother is best characterized as

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Joel's behavior of demanding to be held and refusing to interact with the other woman and her child, as well as his inconsolable crying when left briefly with the other woman, suggests that he is exhibiting resistance towards his mother. This is a type of insecure attachment in which the child seeks closeness with the caregiver but also resists it, often due to inconsistent or unpredictable responses from the caregiver.

When Billie Takes Her Son, Joel, to the Park One