According to Ainsworth

According to Ainsworth, attachment “may be defined as an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time.” It is the relationship (bond) between an infant and a parent or a primary caregiver during the first 2 to 3 years of a child’s life and the infant’s desire for regular contact with her/his parent to feel safe and cared for. The development of this relationship is dependent on how a parent responds to the child’s needs for care, comfort and security, develops gradually and goes through different stages. This attachment refers to a child’s feelings and actions in the relationship and not to the parent’s feelings about the child.