Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and empirically elaborated by Mary Ainsworth, is one of the most influential frameworks in developmental psychology and its clinical applications span pediatrics, psychiatry, nursing, and primary care. Bowlby proposed that humans are biologically prepared to form strong emotional bonds with caregivers — a system that evolved because proximity to a protective caregiver reduced predation risk and ensured access to care. For exam purposes, attachment theory appears most frequently in questions about infant behavioral observations, child development milestones, risk factors for psychopathology, and therapeutic alliance. Clinically, attachment theory provides a non-stigmatizing framework for understanding why some patients seem 'demanding,' 'resistant,' or 'unable to connect' — reframing these behaviors as relational strategies shaped by early developmental experience. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work and oxygenation, perfusion and end organs, neuro baseline, likely infection sources, and devices...