The second group of children with insecure attachment fall into what’s called ambivalent attachment. Here the parents show their children neither consistent nurturing and attunement nor consistent indifference and insensitivity. Instead, what characterizes the early years of life for these children is parental inconsistency. They have a parent who is sometimes attuned, sensitive, and responsive, and at other times not. As a result, the attachment relationship causes this child great anxiety and ambivalence regarding whether they can trust this parent.
