Adult attachment measures: a 25-year review
- PMID: 20846544
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.08.006
Adult attachment measures: a 25-year review
Abstract
Objective: Over the past 25 years, attachment research has extended beyond infant-parent bonds to examine dyadic relationships in children, adolescents, and adults. Attachment has been shown to influence a wide array of biopsychosocial phenomena, including social functioning, coping, stress response, psychological well-being, health behavior, and morbidity, and has thus emerged as an important focus of psychosomatic research. This article reviews the measurement of adult attachment, highlighting instruments of relevance to-or with potential use in-psychosomatic research.
Methods: Following a literature search of articles that were related to the scales and measurement methods of attachment in adult populations, 29 instruments were examined with respect to their utility for psychosomatic researchers.
Results: Validity, reliability, and feasibility were tabulated on 29 instruments. Eleven of the instruments with strong psychometric properties, wide use, or use in psychosomatic research are described. These include the following: Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, and Main); Adult Attachment Projective (George and West); Adult Attachment Questionnaire (Simpson, Rholes, and Phillips); Adult Attachment Scale (and Revised Adult Attachment Scale) (Collins and Read); Attachment Style Questionnaire (Feeney); Current Relationship Interview (Crowell and Owens); Experiences in Close Relationships (Brennan, Clark, and Shaver) and Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (Fraley, Waller, and Brennan); Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker, Tupling, and Brown); Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire (West and Sheldon-Keller); Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew and Horowitz); and Relationship Scales Questionnaire (Grifiin and Bartholomew).
Conclusion: In addition to reliability and validity, investigators need to consider relationship focus, attachment constructs, dimensions or categories of interest, and the time required for training, administration, and scoring. Further considerations regarding attachment measurement in the context of psychosomatic research are discussed.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
What do adult attachment scales measure?Bull Menninger Clin. 1998 Winter;62(1):33-82. Bull Menninger Clin. 1998. PMID: 9524379
-
Assessment and screening tools for trauma in children and adolescents: a review.Trauma Violence Abuse. 2005 Jan;6(1):55-78. doi: 10.1177/1524838004272559. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2005. PMID: 15574673 Review.
-
Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents who have a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Pediatrics. 2004 Nov;114(5):e541-7. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-0844. Pediatrics. 2004. PMID: 15520087
-
Promoting secure attachment patterns in infancy and beyond.Prof Care Mother Child. 1995;5(6):158-60. Prof Care Mother Child. 1995. PMID: 8680237
-
Ten-year review of rating scales. V: scales assessing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003 Sep;42(9):1015-37. doi: 10.1097/01.CHI.0000070245.24125.B6. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2003. PMID: 12960702 Review.
Cited by
-
Altered EEG Patterns in Individuals with Disorganized Attachment: An EEG Microstates Study.Brain Topogr. 2024 May;37(3):420-431. doi: 10.1007/s10548-024-01038-2. Epub 2024 Feb 28. Brain Topogr. 2024. PMID: 38416284
-
Variance Composition, Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 in Nonclinical Samples.Psychol Men Masc. 2022 Jan;23(1):133-142. doi: 10.1037/men0000373. Epub 2021 Nov 18. Psychol Men Masc. 2022. PMID: 38250472 Free PMC article.
-
An Exploratory Study of Physiological Linkage Among Strangers.Front Neuroergon. 2022 Feb 7;2:751354. doi: 10.3389/fnrgo.2021.751354. eCollection 2021. Front Neuroergon. 2022. PMID: 38235240 Free PMC article.
-
Changes in attachment dimensions during the treatment of acute post-traumatic stress disorder in sexually assaulted Brazilian women.Front Psychol. 2023 Dec 7;14:1325622. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1325622. eCollection 2023. Front Psychol. 2023. PMID: 38130963 Free PMC article.
-
"Surrounded, detached": the relationship between defensive peripersonal space and personality.Front Psychiatry. 2023 Oct 13;14:1244364. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244364. eCollection 2023. Front Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37900289 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous