Attachment assessment in clinical practice: Factor structure of the attachment questionnaire

Attachment theory is of great relevance to psychotherapy process and outcome. The labor-intensive and time-consuming nature of attachment codification impedes its widespread use in clinical practice. The Attachment Questionnaire (AQ), a clinician-rated instrument, was developed to address these limitations. However, the status of validation of the AQ remains preliminary. The objective of this study is to further validate the AQ by evaluating its factor structure and convergent validity.

To this end, 389 psychotherapists completed the AQ and assessed patients' personality disorders and level of functioning.

Factor analyses revealed that a five-factor solution provided a better fit than the original four-factor solution. The additional factor, inhibited exploration, captured difficulties in open, nondefensive, exploration of memories and their effects. Correlations between AQ factors and criterion variables support the convergent validity of the AQ.

These results are discussed in light of patients' characteristics and recent advances in attachment research.