Ambivalent Attachment

Ambivalent attachment is a type of childhood attachment style identified by Mary Ainsworth. Ambivalent at its root means having mixed feelings about something. Along with secure (70% of infants) and avoidant (15% of infants) attachment infants, ambivalent attachment is exhibited by particular behaviors that children engage in regards to their caregivers and other people they encounter. These attachment styles are thought to be a result of early infant interactions with parents and caregivers. Ambivalent attachment infants show distress when their parent leaves and when reunited with them approaches the parent but doesn't want contact and sometimes even pushes them away. Ambivalent infants also cry more and want to explore less than the secure or avoidant attachment infants.