Secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganizedβwhich one are you? Rena Goldman is a health writer and editor with over a decade of experience. Her work has been featured Medical News Today, Healthline, and more. This short free question quiz measures feelings associated with the four main attachment stylesβsecure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized. This quiz is not a formal medical or diagnostic test and should not be interpreted as clinical or medical advice.
Early attachment styles may not be exactly the same as those in adult relationships, but they can be a good predictor of adult behavior patterns. Your attachment style consists of a variation of attachment strategies, which strategies show up the most depend on the overall safety you have felt in relationships. Those of us with a secure attachment style are able to build healthy long-term relationships. A secure attachment generally leads to good self-esteem and the ability to enjoy close relationships, seek social support, and share feelings with others.
Children who develop this attachment style had parents or primary caregivers who were more attentive to their needs. They felt safe, loved, and understood. Securely attached children sought comfort from the parent or caregiver when scared and preferred the comfort of this adult to strangers. Research suggests that securely attached children are more empathetic as they get older.
Anxious attachment style, also called ambivalent attachment, is a type of insecure attachment. If you have this attachment style, you may tend to be wary of getting close to others and worry whether a romantic partner loves you or not. It's not easy for any of us when a relationship ends, but anxious attachment can make things especially difficult. Children who are ambivalently attached are typically suspicious of strangers and distressed when separated from a caregiver.
Avoidant attachment style is marked by challenges with intimacy and close relationships. If you are avoidant, you might not be willing or able to share thoughts and feelings with others, and may even have problems with intimacy.
