Attachment theory describes secure attachment as resulting from which caregiver behavior?

• A. Insecure attachment arises when care is inconsistent or unresponsive.
• B. Secure attachment develops from neglect.
• C. Secure attachment results from responsive caregiving and supports exploration.
• D. Secure attachment means the child avoids exploration.

Answer: (C)

Secure attachment develops when a caregiver consistently responds to the child’s needs with warmth, sensitivity, and predictability. This attunement creates a safe base, so the child trusts that support will be there and feels free to explore the world. The resulting internal sense is that others are reliable, which underpins confident exploration and later relationships.

Insecure attachment, by contrast, arises when care is inconsistent or unresponsive, leaving the child unsure whether support will come. Neglect leads to similarly insecure patterns. An avoidant pattern—where the child minimizes exploration and closeness—describes a different, insecure style, not secure attachment.