Attachment style is a specific pattern of behavior in and around relationships, shaped and developed in early childhood in response to the quality of care received from primary caregivers. Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. The most important tenet of attachment theory is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development.

Within attachment theory, attachment means an affectional bond or tie between an individual and an attachment figure, usually a caregiver or guardian. Such bonds may be reciprocal between two adults, but between a child and a caregiver, these bonds are based on the childs need for safety, security, and protection, which is most important in infancy and childhood.

Four attachment styles have been identified in adults: secure, anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant. These roughly correspond to infant classifications: secure, insecure-ambivalent, insecure-avoidant, and disorganized/disoriented.

• Secure attachment style: People with this attachment style are comfortable expressing emotions openly, can depend on their partners, and let their partners rely on them. Relationships with someone with a secure attachment style are based on honesty, tolerance, and emotional closeness. Secure attachment can be seen as the most adaptive attachment style.

• Anxious-preoccupied attachment style: People with this attachment style tend to be overly dependent on their partners, seek constant reassurance, and worry about their partners love and commitment. They may be clingy and fear abandonment.

• Dismissive-avoidant attachment style: People with this attachment style tend to avoid emotional closeness and may come across as emotionally distant or aloof. They may have a fear of intimacy and prefer to be self-reliant.

• Fearful-avoidant attachment style: People with this attachment style may have a fear of intimacy and a fear of abandonment. They may want emotional closeness but also fear it, leading to a push-pull dynamic in relationships[[1]...