[Measuring Hyperactivation and Deactivation of the Attachment System: The Hungarian Adaptation and Validation of the...

The attachment system is a threat-sensitive regulatory system that, when functioning optimally, fosters a sense of attachment security. When caregiver responsiveness is lacking, secondary defensive strategies-deactivation and hyperactivation-are recruited to manage threat and become central organizing principles of affect regulation. Our aim is to enable the assessment of these strategies in Hungarian by adapting and validating the Attachment Defenses Questionnaire (ADQ-HU-32).

We used a three-stage development process. (1) We first compiled a 121-item pool with expert- and AI-supported translation-back-translation process, content refinement, and additions. (2) We then conducted an exploratory factor analysis on a large sample (N = 861; M = 39.5 years; 39% male), yielding a 50-item, eight-factor version. (3) On a new sample (N = 543; M = 28.43 years; 35% male), we performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, removed underperforming subscales (emotional withdrawal, self-sacrifice), and produced the final 32-item version. Convergent validity was tested against the ECR-R-HU-SF and MMQ scales; group differences by marital status were examined with ANOVA.

The final ADQ-HU-32 showed a six-factor structure: two eight-item subscales (vulnerability suppression, distancing) for deactivation, and four four-item subscales (chronic proximity seeking, relational hypervigilance, rumination, splitting) for hyperactivation. Model fit indices were acceptable to excellent (RMSEA = 0.045-0.067; SRMR = 0.027-0.066; CFI = 0.93-0.96; TLI = 0.92-0.95), and internal reliability was adequate (ω/α = 0.75-0.89). Deactivation showed medium-to-strong positive associations with ECR avoidance and MMQ relational discomfort and mistrust; hyperactivation correlated strongly with ECR anxiety and positively with MMQ emotional dyscontrol and other dysfunctional dimensions. Both higher-order factors were negatively related to overall mentalization scores. By marital status, singles scored higher and married individuals lower on both deactivation and hyperactivation.

The ADQ-HU-32 is a psychometrically sound, reliable instrument for assessing attachment-related defensive strategies. Future work should test it in clinical populations to evaluate its suitability for the empirical study of personality pathology. (Neuropsychopharmacol Hung 2026; 28(3): 142-161)