CRC Attachment Theory & Relationship Patterns Flashcards

The pursue-withdraw cycle in couples is most often driven by which attachment dynamic?

Answer: An anxious partner pursuing and an avoidant partner withdrawing

The pursue-withdraw cycle typically involves an anxiously attached partner seeking connection and an avoidantly attached partner pulling away, reinforcing each other's fears.

A CRC helping a client with an avoidant attachment style would most likely work on:

Answer: Increasing tolerance for intimacy and vulnerability

Avoidant clients need help building tolerance for closeness and learning that vulnerability does not inevitably lead to rejection.

The concept of a 'secure base' in adult relationships refers to:

Answer: A partner who provides a safe haven that enables exploration and risk-taking

A secure base, derived from Bowlby's theory, is a partner who provides safety and support from which the other can explore and take risks.

Attachment theory suggests that 'earned security' refers to:

Answer: Developing a secure attachment style through later corrective experiences despite an insecure childhood

Earned security describes individuals who developed secure attachment despite early insecure experiences, often through therapy, coaching, or a healing relationship.

Which attachment behavior is most commonly observed in anxiously attached adults during conflict?

Answer: Hyperactivating strategies such as heightening distress and protest

Anxious attachment involves hyperactivating strategies — amplifying emotional distress and protest to compel an avoidant partner to respond.

The 'Still Face' experiment by Edward Tronick demonstrated that:

Answer: Even brief disruptions in caregiver responsiveness cause infant distress, highlighting the importance of attunement

The Still Face experiment showed infants become distressed when caregivers become unresponsive, demonstrating the profound impact of attunement on emotional development.