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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–5Cite as

Organized-Insecure Attachment

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Definition

Organized-insecure attachment denotes patterns of attachment behavior in relation to the caregiver that are organized but which, in comparison to secure attachment, are inflexible and suboptimal (e.g., lower in quality). The less than optimal organization is seen in a decreased ability to use the caregiver as a secure base to explore the environment from and as a safe haven to return to for comfort and protection when distressed. The insecure-avoidant pattern is particularly characterized by a decreased ability to turn to the caregiver for support when distressed (e.g., as a safe haven), with these children showing avoidant behaviors such as turning away from and/or ignoring their caregiver in the strange situation procedure (termed a “minimizing strategy”). The insecure-ambivalent/resistant pattern is characterized by a decreased ability to use the caregiver as a reference point for exploration of the environment (e.g., as a secure base), with these children showing high...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

    Tommie Forslund

  2. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Pehr Granqvist

Authors
  1. Tommie Forslund
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  2. Pehr Granqvist
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Correspondence to Pehr Granqvist .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

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Forslund, T., Granqvist, P. (2016). Organized-Insecure Attachment. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1961-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1961-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

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