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Measuring adult attachment: a construct validation of two self-report instruments
1Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden. martin.backstrom@psychology.lu.se
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|March 29, 2001
Summary
This study validated Swedish attachment style scales, finding a two-factor structure supported, with a three-factor model also viable. Attachment styles correlated as expected with the Big Five personality traits.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding interpersonal relationships.
- Validating psychological instruments is crucial for reliable research in diverse populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform the Swedish construct validation of two translated attachment style scales.
- To investigate the factor structure of the attachment construct in a Swedish university student sample.
- To examine the correlation between attachment styles and the Big Five personality traits.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to analyze attachment scores from 515 university students.
- Attachment scales were correlated with the Big Five personality inventory (NEO-PI) in a separate sample of 87 students.
Main Results:
- The study supported the expected two-factor solution for attachment styles.
- A three-factor solution emerged as a viable alternative structure.
- Correlations between attachment scales and the Big Five personality inventory aligned with theoretical expectations.
Conclusions:
- The translated attachment style scales demonstrate construct validity in a Swedish context.
- The factor structure of attachment may be flexible, with both two- and three-factor models being plausible.
- Attachment styles show expected relationships with broader personality dimensions.