positives of an insecure attachment

Question 1

life history theory of attachment-

Answer 1

Life history theory of attachment: Belsky,
Steinberg, & Draper (1991) * Links childhood experience, attachment and reproductive
strategies. * Avoidant: promotes opportunistic reproductive strategies
in adulthood. * Ambivalent: indirect reproductive strategy by helping to
rear siblings and other relatives

But Life History Theory flips that perspective a bit. It says:

❝ Insecure attachments might not be “bad” — they might actually be functional strategies designed to help a child survive and reproduce in a harsh or unpredictable environment. ❞

🧬 How Each Attachment Style Can Be “Good” in Context:
1. Avoidant Attachment = Fast, Opportunistic Strategy
In a world where relationships are unreliable and resources are scarce, it might make sense to:

Not rely too much on others

Invest less in long-term emotional bonds

Reproduce earlier and with more partners

So avoidant people may be emotionally distant, but that could be a smart strategy in a tough world. They’re focusing on quantity over quality in mating.

Ambivalent Attachment = Indirect Fitness Strategy
If a child feels insecure but still emotionally connected, they might:

Become highly attuned to others’ emotional needs

Invest in caregiving and supporting siblings or extended family

Even if they don’t reproduce themselves, helping relatives can still pass on shared genes (this is called “inclusive fitness” in evolutionary terms).

Secure attachment: Great in stable, supportive environments → promotes stable, long-term parenting and relationships.

Insecure attachment: Can be more adaptive in chaotic, risky, or resource-poor environments → focuses on survival, flexibility, or kin support.

'’different stratgeies for different words’’

Question 2

benefits of insecure

Answer 2

• Must have an evolutionary advantage
  as insecurity attachment is common.
  But
• Secure can be slower to recognise threat and therefore
  initiate defence behaviour.
• In the presence of family (i.e. when secure) people are
  often slower to react to danger.
• In WW2 Jews were more likely to survive if fled alone,
  but most did not as wanted family nearby

Question 3

social defence theory=

Answer 3

Social Defense Theory (Ein-Dor et al., 2010)
Insecurity helps everyone to function in groups, every
attachment style has its advantage: * Anxious – sensitive and quick to detect threats and alert
others to danger. * Avoidant – quick and independent responses to threat
which can promote group survival, promotion of selfsurvival is genetically beneficial

Question 4

benefits 2

Answer 4

Resource control behaviours in middle childhood
(Chen & Chang, 2012)
Insecure attachment is an adaptive strategy to improve
access to the resources within the peer group. * Avoidant: associated with the use of coercive
strategies to control resources. * Ambivalent: associated with both coercive and
prosocial resource control

resource control behaviours- insecure can be adaptive to improve access to resources within the peer group. Those avoidant tended to use coercive strategies to control resources e.g. bullying BUT got what they wanted
- ambivalent= used coercive and prosocial (offering awards) and again got what they wanted- in survival terms this is good, However may not be good for peer development. IN modern day peers are so imporatn so?????????

Question 5

ER on the positives on insecure attachment

Answer 5

Martin et al., 1995- insecure attachment styles may be linked to enhanced creative thinking. The study suggests that individuals with insecure attachment patterns might develop heightened sensitivity and divergent thinking as coping mechanisms, which can foster creativity. This perspective posits that the challenges associated with insecure attachment could, in certain contexts, lead to positive outcomes like increased creative capacities.

A recent study by Francois-Walcott et al. (2024) explored how individuals with insecure attachment styles adapted their support-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that, under high stress, individuals with high attachment avoidance were more likely to seek support from their partners, indicating a flexible adaptation of coping strategies in response to environmental demands. This suggests that insecure attachment styles may have adaptive functions in certain contexts

Question 6

ER

Answer 6

Simpson et al., 2019-
further explored life history theory-

Insecure attachment is linked to cognitive schemas suited for risky environments.
*
Insecure attachment is linked to emotional profiles suited for risky environments.

Life History Theory says people adapt their behavior based on how tough or unstable their environment is when they’re growing up. This includes how they approach relationships and mating.

🔥 In Harsh or Unpredictable Environments:
Life is uncertain → people might die young, resources are limited

So, it makes sense to reproduce earlier and more often

Long-term relationships (like those linked with secure attachment) might not be as useful

🤯 How Insecure Attachment Helps:
1. Avoidant Attachment
Prefer short-term, emotionally distant relationships

Don’t rely on others → saves time, energy

✅ Benefit: More partners = more chances to reproduce quickly

Useful when the future is uncertain

2. Anxious Attachment
   Crave closeness, fear abandonment

Can become highly focused on staying close to others

✅ Benefit: Hypervigilance helps detect threats & hold onto partners

May increase chances of staying close enough to reproduce

critical anaysis- One limitation of Life History Theory is its reduced relevance to modern industrial societies. The theory is rooted in evolutionary assumptions about survival and reproduction in harsh, unpredictable environments. However, in many modern contexts, threats to survival are minimal, and reproductive decisions are often delayed or de-emphasized entirely. As such, the supposed adaptive value of insecure attachment styles — such as early reproduction or short-term mating — may no longer align with contemporary goals like emotional well-being, long-term relationships, or career development. This evolutionary mismatch suggests that while LHT offers valuable insights into developmental trajectories, its applicability to present-day human behavior may be limited.