Secure attachment describes the ability to build healthy long-term relationships with [friends](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/value-of-friendship), family, and romantic partners. Secure attachment forms in early childhood. Primary caregivers must meet a child’s needs in infancy and early childhood to help the child feel safe; this sense of security helps to foster a secure attachment. 

Conversely, inconsistent parenting and childhood trauma can lead to insecure attachment styles. People with insecure types of attachment styles—including fearful-avoidant, dismissive-avoidant, and disorganized attachment—often fear abandonment and lack [emotional availability](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/emotionally-unavailable) in romantic relationships.
Attachment theory refers to British psychoanalyst John Bowlby’s evolutionary and social psychology theory of how human beings form patterns of attachment. Bowlby’s [attachment theory](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/attachment-theory) analyzes the relationship between young children and their primary caregivers. 

This fundamental early attachment supports personality development and is predictive of how people view others as attachment figures or someone with whom they can build an emotional bond. People with secure styles of attachment can develop healthy relationships with romantic partners and might find it easier to [stay in love](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-stay-in-love) with their partner over a long period of time.
In the 1960s and 1970s, US American-Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth built on John Bowlby’s theory of attachment behaviors and the work of other attachment theorists to introduce the concept of the secure base in early childhood development.

- __Infant attachment__: In the first year of life, during infant attachment, a child identifies a single person as a primary caregiver. The child will have one of three potential attachment relationships with that person: secure attachment (in which the child’s needs are met), avoidant attachment (in which the child avoids the caregiver due to a lack of trust), and anxious attachment (in which the child fears abandonment because of inconsistent parenting).
- __The Strange Situation__: Ainsworth developed The Strange Situation laboratory to study behavioral systems in the first year of child development. In this procedure, psychologists observe how a child (between the ages of nine months and thirty months) behaves when their caretaker converses with a friend, conspicuously leaves the child with the friend, and then returns to the child. This process repeats a few times to gauge how well young children understand their secure attachment.
- __Human development__: The time children spend with their parents and the quality of that time are critical to developmental psychology and the ability to build secure relationships. If the primary attachment figure abandoned the child or did not create a safe haven for them, the child might grow to have a fear of the unknown and greater insecurity. Establishing secure attachment at a young age is essential to emotional development and positive mental health.
People with a secure attachment maintain a positive well-being. There are a few key characteristics of people exhibiting this attachment style, including:

1. __Self-awareness__: People with secure attachments are aware of their own emotions and how they affect others, leading to greater [empathy](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/why-is-empathy-important) and emotional intelligence. 
2. __Self-esteem__: People with secure attachments tend to have healthy self-confidence due to encouragement beginning in early childhood.
3. __Socialization skills__: Those with secure attachment styles can easily build and maintain friendly and intimate relationships. They can express themselves openly to others, making partners and friends feel comfortable doing the same.
4. __Vital mental health__: People with secure attachment patterns can understand and control their emotions, practice mindfulness, and extend grace and care to themselves and others.
A positive childhood experience is a predictor of secure attachment, but changing your attachment style in adulthood is possible. Consider the following ways to develop a secure attachment as an adult:

- __Build your self-esteem__. Take part in activities and hobbies that raise your self-confidence. Avoid hanging out with people who bring your mood or confidence down.
- __Embrace support__. Be emotionally available by offering support to those who need help and ask for emotional support from others when you need it.
- __Express your feelings__. Share your opinions in a healthy way. Develop [emotional intelligence](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence) by thinking before speaking so you can first consider how your words and actions might impact others.
- __Work on healing__. A therapist can help you develop the soft skills to better understand your emotions and relationships with others. [Therapy](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-to-expect-from-therapy) can also help you learn how to build future relationships.
- __Practice mindfulness__. Learn [how to meditate](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-meditate), show gratitude, and [journal](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-start-and-keep-a-journal) regularly to track your feelings and personal progress. It is essential to schedule personal time on your calendar if you want to follow a [self-care plan](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-care-plan).
Early development will lead to different attachment styles in adulthood. Theorists have applied attachment research to close relationships in adults. Some adult attachment relationships include:

1. __Ambivalent attachment style__: People with attachment security anxiety, also known as ambivalent attachment, anxious-avoidant, or anxious-attachment style, are overly needy and clingy. They lack the [self-esteem](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-esteem) to fully [trust](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/trust-in-a-relationship) themselves or trust others, leading to separation anxiety and constant worrying over secure attachment and loss of attachment.
2. __Dismissive-avoidant attachment style__: People with these attachment experiences steer away from emotional vulnerability and see closeness as a form of weakness. Those with this attachment-related issue will not rely on others but rather expect others to rely on them, creating an imbalance in a relationship.
3. __Disorganized attachment style__: Also known as disoriented or fearful-avoidant attachment, disorganized attachment might describe partners with difficulty regulating emotions who feel unworthy of affection. People who experience intense [trauma](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/collective-trauma), often sexual or physical abuse during childhood, might have a disorganized attachment. Therapy and a solid social network can help people with disorganized attachments.
4. __Secure attachment style__: A secure attachment system is the foundation of healthy adult relationships. In secure attachment styles, partners provide for the emotional needs of others without manipulation or abuse. They emotionally depend on each other while still having individual differences and interests. This balance helps support a meaningful relationship.
Developing relational intelligence and improving <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communication","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communication</a> are essential to boost the quality of your personal and professional relationships. Discover Esther Perel’s approach to [resolving conflict](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-resolve-conflict), [having difficult conversations](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-have-difficult-conversations), and building trust when you sign up for a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com/).
People with secure attachments can build and maintain close relationships. Learn about secure attachment and how to change your attachment style in adulthood.

People with secure attachments can build and maintain close relationships. Learn about secure attachment and how to change your attachment style in adulthood.

What Is Secure Attachment? 4 Signs of Secure Attachment

Secure attachment describes the ability to build healthy long-term relationships with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/value-of-friendship' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/value-of-friendship","linkCopy":"friends","category":null}'>friends</a>, family, and romantic partners. Secure attachment forms in early childhood. Primary caregivers must meet a child’s needs in infancy and early childhood to help the child feel safe; this sense of security helps to foster a secure attachment. Conversely, inconsistent parenting and childhood trauma can lead to insecure attachment styles. People with insecure types of attachment styles—including fearful-avoidant, dismissive-avoidant, and disorganized attachment—often fear abandonment and lack <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/emotionally-unavailable' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/emotionally-unavailable","linkCopy":"emotional availability","category":null}'>emotional availability</a> in romantic relationships.

What Is Secure Attachment?

Attachment theory refers to British psychoanalyst John Bowlby’s evolutionary and social psychology theory of how human beings form patterns of attachment. Bowlby’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/attachment-theory' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/attachment-theory","linkCopy":"attachment theory","category":null}'>attachment theory</a> analyzes the relationship between young children and their primary caregivers. This fundamental early attachment supports personality development and is predictive of how people view others as attachment figures or someone with whom they can build an emotional bond. People with secure styles of attachment can develop healthy relationships with romantic partners and might find it easier to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-stay-in-love' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-stay-in-love","linkCopy":"stay in love","category":null}'>stay in love</a> with their partner over a long period of time.

What Is Attachment Theory?

In the 1960s and 1970s, US American-Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth built on John Bowlby’s theory of attachment behaviors and the work of other attachment theorists to introduce the concept of the secure base in early childhood development.<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Infant attachment: In the first year of life, during infant attachment, a child identifies a single person as a primary caregiver. The child will have one of three potential attachment relationships with that person: secure attachment (in which the child’s needs are met), avoidant attachment (in which the child avoids the caregiver due to a lack of trust), and anxious attachment (in which the child fears abandonment because of inconsistent parenting). </li><li class="">The Strange Situation: Ainsworth developed The Strange Situation laboratory to study behavioral systems in the first year of child development. In this procedure, psychologists observe how a child (between the ages of nine months and thirty months) behaves when their caretaker converses with a friend, conspicuously leaves the child with the friend, and then returns to the child. This process repeats a few times to gauge how well young children understand their secure attachment. </li><li class="">Human development: The time children spend with their parents and the quality of that time are critical to developmental psychology and the ability to build secure relationships. If the primary attachment figure abandoned the child or did not create a safe haven for them, the child might grow to have a fear of the unknown and greater insecurity. Establishing secure attachment at a young age is essential to emotional development and positive mental health. </li></ul>

Attachment Theory in Early Childhood

People with a secure attachment maintain a positive well-being. There are a few key characteristics of people exhibiting this attachment style, including:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Self-awareness: People with secure attachments are aware of their own emotions and how they affect others, leading to greater <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/why-is-empathy-important' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/why-is-empathy-important","linkCopy":"empathy","category":null}'>empathy</a> and emotional intelligence. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Self-esteem: People with secure attachments tend to have healthy self-confidence due to encouragement beginning in early childhood. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Socialization skills: Those with secure attachment styles can easily build and maintain friendly and intimate relationships. They can express themselves openly to others, making partners and friends feel comfortable doing the same. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Vital mental health: People with secure attachment patterns can understand and control their emotions, practice mindfulness, and extend grace and care to themselves and others. </li></ol>

4 Signs of Secure Attachment in Adults

A positive childhood experience is a predictor of secure attachment, but changing your attachment style in adulthood is possible. Consider the following ways to develop a secure attachment as an adult:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Build your self-esteem. Take part in activities and hobbies that raise your self-confidence. Avoid hanging out with people who bring your mood or confidence down. </li><li class="">Embrace support. Be emotionally available by offering support to those who need help and ask for emotional support from others when you need it. </li><li class="">Express your feelings. Share your opinions in a healthy way. Develop <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence","linkCopy":"emotional intelligence","category":null}'>emotional intelligence</a> by thinking before speaking so you can first consider how your words and actions might impact others. </li><li class="">Work on healing. A therapist can help you develop the soft skills to better understand your emotions and relationships with others. <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-to-expect-from-therapy' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-to-expect-from-therapy","linkCopy":"Therapy","category":null}'>Therapy</a> can also help you learn how to build future relationships. </li><li class="">Practice mindfulness. Learn <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-meditate' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-meditate","linkCopy":"how to meditate","category":null}'>how to meditate</a>, show gratitude, and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-start-and-keep-a-journal' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-start-and-keep-a-journal","linkCopy":"journal","category":null}'>journal</a> regularly to track your feelings and personal progress. It is essential to schedule personal time on your calendar if you want to follow a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-care-plan' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-care-plan","linkCopy":"self-care plan","category":null}'>self-care plan</a>. </li></ul>

How to Develop Secure Attachment as an Adult

Early development will lead to different attachment styles in adulthood. Theorists have applied attachment research to close relationships in adults. Some adult attachment relationships include:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Ambivalent attachment style: People with attachment security anxiety, also known as ambivalent attachment, anxious-avoidant, or anxious-attachment style, are overly needy and clingy. They lack the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-esteem' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/self-esteem","linkCopy":"self-esteem","category":null}'>self-esteem</a> to fully <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/trust-in-a-relationship' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/trust-in-a-relationship","linkCopy":"trust","category":null}'>trust</a> themselves or trust others, leading to separation anxiety and constant worrying over secure attachment and loss of attachment. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Dismissive-avoidant attachment style: People with these attachment experiences steer away from emotional vulnerability and see closeness as a form of weakness. Those with this attachment-related issue will not rely on others but rather expect others to rely on them, creating an imbalance in a relationship. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Disorganized attachment style: Also known as disoriented or fearful-avoidant attachment, disorganized attachment might describe partners with difficulty regulating emotions who feel unworthy of affection. People who experience intense <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/collective-trauma' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/collective-trauma","linkCopy":"trauma","category":null}'>trauma</a>, often sexual or physical abuse during childhood, might have a disorganized attachment. Therapy and a solid social network can help people with disorganized attachments. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Secure attachment style: A secure attachment system is the foundation of healthy adult relationships. In secure attachment styles, partners provide for the emotional needs of others without manipulation or abuse. They emotionally depend on each other while still having individual differences and interests. This balance helps support a meaningful relationship. </li></ol>

4 Adult Attachment Styles

Developing relational intelligence and improving <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/robin-robertss-tips-for-effective-communication","linkCopy":"communication","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>communication</a> are essential to boost the quality of your personal and professional relationships. Discover Esther Perel’s approach to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-resolve-conflict' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-resolve-conflict","linkCopy":"resolving conflict","category":null}'>resolving conflict</a>, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-have-difficult-conversations' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-have-difficult-conversations","linkCopy":"having difficult conversations","category":null}'>having difficult conversations</a>, and building trust when you sign up for a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>.

Revitalize Your Relationships

People with secure attachments can build and maintain close relationships. Learn about secure attachment and how to change your attachment style in adulthood.

People with secure attachments can build and maintain close relationships. Learn about secure attachment and how to change your attachment style in adulthood.
