Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Classification System

The Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Classification System categorizes how children bond with their caregivers based on their behaviors and reactions to separation and reunion. It identifies secure attachment (confident and trusting), insecure-avoidant (independent but emotionally distant), insecure-ambivalent (clingy and anxious), and disorganized (mixed behaviors, often due to trauma). These patterns develop from early experiences and influence emotional development and relationships later in life. The system helps understand a child's behavioral responses to their caregiver, providing insight into their emotional security and attachment style.