Adult attachment: what are the underlying dimensions?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Adult attachment theory is crucial for understanding interpersonal dynamics.
• Existing measures of adult attachment vary, necessitating an examination of their comparability and construct validity.
• Understanding how different attachment measures relate to psychological adjustment is essential for clinical and research applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the comparability of five adult attachment measures using statistical techniques.
• To investigate the relationship between attachment classifications and subscale scores with criterion variables like dyadic adjustment, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychiatric symptoms.
• To map the underlying constructs of attachment measures and their relationship to psychological adjustment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a community sample of 115 young adults.
• Applied categorical and dimensional approaches to determine measure comparability.
• Employed principal components analysis to examine construct relationships.
• Correlated attachment measures with criterion variables: dyadic adjustment, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychiatric symptoms.

Main Results:

• Agreement among classifications from the five adult attachment measures was modest.
• Attachment classification was a better predictor of psychological symptom severity than other adjustment measures.
• Principal components analysis revealed the relationships among underlying attachment constructs, measure subscales, and psychological adjustment.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight the need for careful consideration when selecting adult attachment measures due to modest agreement.
• Attachment security and coping strategies are key constructs influencing psychological well-being.
• Further research is warranted to refine attachment measures and their application in understanding psychological adjustment and relationship functioning.