Which attachment style is characterized by inconsistent or contradictory behavior toward the caregiver and is often linked to frightening caregiver behavior?

• A. Secure
• B. Anxious-avoidant
• C. Disorganized
• D. Anxious-ambivalent

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is attachment disorganization, which happens when the caregiver’s behavior is frightening or confusing to the child, preventing a stable strategy for seeking comfort. Because the caregiver is a source of fear, the child’s responses become inconsistent and even contradictory—approaching for support one moment and then displaying freezing, misdirected movements, or bewildered actions the next. This lack of a coherent strategy is the hallmark of disorganized attachment and is closely tied to frightening caregiver behavior.

Other patterns are more organized in how they guide the child’s actions. For example, securely attached children show a clear, organized way of seeking and maintaining closeness; anxious-ambivalent children are distressed about separation but still display a somewhat organized push-pull toward the caregiver; anxious-avoidant children tend to keep interactions with the caregiver at a distance in a more predictable, avoidant way. Disorganized stands out because the child doesn’t settle on a consistent approach, instead showing mixed, disordered behaviors in the face of caregiver fear.