What is "Attachment" Anyway?

Attachment styles are actually a pretty simple concept to understand if you take out all the technical mumbo-jumbo. There's 2 basic types of attachment: secure and insecure.
Secure attachment means that you have a positive image of yourself, others and the world.
Insecure attachment results in having poor images of yourself and/or others and/or the world.
See, pretty simple, right?
Securely attached children seek out their parents for comfort and to check if something is ok. These children are upset when their parents initially leave and are excited when they return. Securely attached children quite obviously prefer their parents/caregivers to anyone else and will often become upset if a stranger (and sometimes not quite so strange, just not mom/dad) holds them, although they will accept comfort and engage with other adults. These children are often described as happy and content. Life is good for the securely attached child.

There are 3 kinds of insecure attachment: ambivalent, avoidant and disorganized.
Ambivalently attached children are extremely wary of strangers and become incredibly distraught when their primary caregivers leaves. However, they do not react positively when she/he returns. The child may ignore the parent, become upset or aggressive upon their return.
Avoidant attachment is just as it sounds, they avoid their parents. They do not actively seek them out, care when they leave or come back and will accept comfort from just about anyone.
Disorganized attachment is also pretty clear cut. A child with this type of insecure attachment is kind of all over the place with their attachment. They may want only their caregiver one minute, not care the next and then be extremely upset when mom leaves the room, although they may not notice when she returns. These children often seen confused and unsure of what to do next or around their caregiver.

Securely attached infants and children often have responsive parents who are in tune with their children's cues. These parents often engage with their children and have a close relationship (attachment parenting, anyone?). Securely attached children see the world as a safe place, that they have a parent who is there to help keep them safe and guide them and that they are capable.
Often, insecurely attached children have parents/caregivers that are not responsive to their needs. These parents may provide unpredictable love and care (as in the "cry it out" method") or perhaps show little at all.

There are attachment styles in adulthood as well, although your attachment in infancy may not be your attachment style in adulthood as there are many other life factors. However, the idea is the same. Your experiences shape how you view yourself and the world.

Providing responsive and predictable love, care and support will help your child to feel safe and view the world, and those in it, in a positive and secure way.

Now wasn't that simple to understand?