A new measure for an important construct: the attachment and object relations inventory

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Attachment style measures often suffer from psychometric limitations.
• Categorical approaches to attachment may not capture nuanced individual differences.
• A need exists for a dimensional, factor-based attachment assessment tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Attachment and Object Relations Inventory (AORI).
• To create a dimensional measure addressing psychometric issues in categorical attachment scales.
• To establish the reliability and validity of the AORI.

Main Methods:

• Development of the 75-item Attachment and Object Relations Inventory (AORI).
• Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency.
• Factor analysis to determine the underlying structure of the AORI.
• Evaluation of convergent and discriminant validity against established measures.

Main Results:

• The AORI demonstrated high test-retest reliability and internal consistency.
• Factor analysis revealed at least 6 underlying factors, explaining 50% of item variance.
• The AORI showed expected relationships with measures of depression, anxiety, personality, and other attachment/object relations scales.

Conclusions:

• The Attachment and Object Relations Inventory (AORI) is a psychometrically sound, dimensional measure of attachment and object relations.
• The AORI provides a valuable tool for research and clinical practice, overcoming limitations of categorical measures.
• The findings support the AORI's utility in assessing complex relational dynamics.