Using the attachment network Q-sort for profiling one's attachment style with different attachment-figures

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Attachment Theory

Background:

• Attachment instruments differ in practicality, scoring methods, scale quality, and applicability to diverse attachment figures.
• The Attachment Network Q-sort (ANQ) is a self-report instrument designed to differentiate relationship-specific attachment styles for multiple figures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the properties and validity of the ANQ in psychotherapy patients and non-patient respondents.
• To assess the ANQ's ability to identify distinct attachment profiles across different attachment figures, including mother, father, and romantic partner.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis was employed to analyze ANQ data from psychotherapy patients and non-patient respondents.
• The study examined attachment styles concerning mother, father, and romantic partner as key attachment figures.

Main Results:

• Four distinct participant profiles emerged: overall secure, insecure only with father, insecure only with mother, and insecure with both parents but not partner.
• These identified attachment profiles demonstrated strong concurrent, discriminant, and construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The ANQ shows potential as a valuable clinical self-report tool for assessing combined attachment styles across various figures like parents and partners.
• The instrument's ability to discriminate relationship-specific attachment styles supports its utility in clinical and research settings.