Experiences in Close Relationships /C0Relationship Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS)
(Fraley et al., 2011 )
Variable
Although a great deal of research supports the idea that people have general trait-like attachment orientations,
it is also likely that a person’s orientations can be somewhat different in different relationships. If someone, for
example, has a history of being rejected by his or her parents but is currently involved in a romantic relationship
with a supportive and responsive partner, the person may be secure with respect to his or her romantic partner
but relatively insecure with respect to his or her parents.
Description
Fraley et al. (2011) initially chose 10 items from the ECR-R that were not worded in a manner that was explic-
itly focused on romantic relationships and were not overly redundant with the other chosen items. Based on reli-
ability analyses across the different relationships, six avoidance items (1 /C06) and three anxiety items (7 /C09) were
retained and used to assess attachment with respect to mother, father, romantic partners, and best friends. For
each item, participants were asked to indicate on a 7-point scale indicative of the extent to which the item
described their orientation in that particular relationship. (Items 1 /C04 must be reverse scored prior to computing
the subscales scores.)
Sample
Participants were 21,838 Internet users (81.5% women, 18.5% men, with an average age of 31.35 years;
SD511.28) who reported being involved in an exclusive dating or marital relationship.
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Cronbach alpha coefficients for the anxiety subscale were .88, .90, .91, and .90 for mother, father, partner,
and friend, respectively. Alpha coefficients for the avoidance subscale were .92, .90, .87, and .88. Finally, alpha
coefficients for global anxiety and avoidance (based on averaging across relationships) were .85 and .88
(Fraley et al., 2011 ).
Test/C0Retest
No information on test /C0retest reliability seems to be currently available.
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
Attachment-related anxiety with respect to one’s partner positively correlated with looking for alternatives to
one’s primary partner (.21). Attachment-related avoidance with respect to one’s partner was positively correlated
with investment in the primary relationship (.28), and it was positively correlated with looking for alternatives to
one’s primary partner (.38). In contrast, only a few associations between attachment insecurities with respect to
other attachment figures and romantic relationship quality turned out to be significant. Avoidance with respect
to mother was positively associated with investment in one’s romantic relationship (.14).
Divergent/Discriminant
Attachment-related anxiety with respect to one’s partner correlated negatively with commitment ( 2.22), and
with relationship satisfaction ( 2.37). Attachment-related avoidance with respect to one’s partner correlated nega-
tively with commitment ( 2.53), and relationship satisfaction ( 2.49). Anxiety with respect to friends was nega-
tively associated with relationship satisfaction ( 2.12). Avoidance with respect to friends was negatively
associated with relationship satisfaction ( 2.11).
Construct/Factor Analytic
Fraley et al. performed separate principal axis factor analyses, followed by varimax rotation, for the 10 items
in each of the four relationship domains. For each of the four, two clear factors were obtained, anxiety and
avoidance.433 MEASURES OF ATTACHMENT ORIENTATION OR ATTACHMENT STYLE
IV. INTERPERSONAL STYLES