Ambivalent Attachment

Ambivalent attachment one form of attachment outlined in psychologist John Bowlby's theory. Attachment itself is defined in his research as a " "lasting psychological connectedness between human beings." This theory is centralized around the relationship of children and mothers. Psychologist Mary Ainsworth expanded on Bowlby's research, defining three main categories of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. When a child becomes very distressed when a parent leaves, it's considered an ambivalent relationship. This is relatively uncommon, only affecting 7-15% of American children.