Relationships Questionnaire (RQ)
(Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991 ).
Variable
Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) proposed a four-category model of adult attachment styles, corresponding to
the four types that can be logically derived from crossing two dimensions that can be labeled either as anxiety and
avoidance or, as Bartholomew (1990) suggested, model of self and model of others (following Bowlby’s conception
of internal working models). This framework distinguishes between what Bartholomew (1990) called dismissingly
avoidant individuals and fearfully avoidant individuals. The former, as shown in the Figure, tend to hold a positive
model of the self and a negative model of others, whereas the latter tend to hold negative models both of the self
and others. Hence, fearfully avoidant individuals share with preoccupied individuals (those anxious but not avoi-
dant) their negative self-models, but differ from them in having a negative model of others as well.
FOUR-CATEGORY MODEL OF ATTACHMENT STYLES
(BARTHOLOMEW & HOROWITZ, 1991 )
Model of OtherModel of Self
Positive Negative
PositiveSecure
Comfortable with
intimacy and autonomyPreoccupied
Preoccupied with
relationships
NegativeDismissing
Dismissing of intimacy
and counter-dependentFearful
Fearful of intimacy and
socially avoidant
Description
According to Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991, p. 229) , the RQ is ‘an adaptation of the attachment measure
developed by Hazan and Shaver (1987) .’Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) developed multi-sentence descrip-
tions of the four attachment styles (following the method used by Hazan & Shaver, 1987 ) that apply to close rela-
tionships in general, not only romantic ones. Respondents rate each of the four descriptive paragraphs in the RQ
for themselves (or for a friend) on a 7-point Likert-type scale, resulting in self-report or friend-report ratings of
attachment. As the ratings may sometimes be equal, participants may also be asked to indicate which of the four
attachment styles describes them best.
Sample
Seventy-seven undergraduate students (37 male; 40 female) ranging in age from 18 to 22 years ( M519.6 years)
took part in Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (1991) initial study. A sample of 77 friends ranging in age from 18 to
23 years ( M519.8 years) was also utilized. A second study was based on a sample of 69 undergraduates
(33 female; 36 male) ranging in age from 17 to 24 years ( M519.5 years).
Reliability
No reliability information for the RQ was reported by Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) .
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Continuous ratings of Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (1991) four RQ attachment-style prototypes correlated posi-
tively with the subscales of the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ; Simpson et al., 1996 ; see our review of AAQ
below). In Bartholomew and Horowitz’s (1991) first study, continuous ratings of the secure prototype correlated posi-
tively with measures of intimacy (.77), balance of control in friendships (.29), level of involvement in romantic423 MEASURES OF ATTACHMENT ORIENTATION OR ATTACHMENT STYLE
IV. INTERPERSONAL STYLES