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The Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures questionnaire: a method for assessing attachment
R Chris Fraley1, Marie E Heffernan, Amanda M Vicary
1Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 East Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA. rcfraley@illinois.edu
Psychological Assessment
|March 30, 2011
Summary
Attachment research shows individuals form relationship-specific working models, not just general ones. This study introduces a new measure to assess these distinct attachment styles across different relationships.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Traditional adult attachment research assumes general, trait-like working models.
- Emerging evidence suggests relationship-specific attachment representations exist.
- Individuals may hold distinct working models for different relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and validate the Relationship Structures questionnaire (ECR-RS) for assessing relationship-specific attachment.
- To investigate the predictive utility of relationship-specific versus general attachment measures.
- To examine the relationship between attachment working model differentiation and psychological outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of the ECR-RS, a measure for multiple relationship contexts.
- Online data collection from over 21,000 individuals for reliability and structural analysis (Study 1).
- Further validation with 388 participants, comparing predictive power of specific vs. general attachment measures (Study 2).
Main Results:
- The ECR-RS demonstrated reliability and a structure comparable to existing attachment measures.
- Relationship-specific attachment measures predicted intra- and interpersonal outcomes more effectively than general measures.
- General attachment measures were better predictors of personality traits than relationship-specific measures.
- Differentiation in working models did not independently predict psychological outcomes beyond mean security levels.
Conclusions:
- The ECR-RS is a reliable tool for assessing relationship-specific attachment dimensions.
- Attachment representations are context-dependent, with specific models offering superior prediction of relational outcomes.
- While distinct working models are important, overall security levels remain a key factor in psychological well-being.
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