Measures of Adult Attachment and Related Constructs

Research on emotional bonding, or 'attachment,' in close relationships, beginning with the infant-caregiver relationship, burgeoned following the publication of Bowlby's (1973, 1980, 1982) three-volume analysis of attachment, separation, and loss. In recent years, research by personality/social psychologists has focused on attachment processes in adolescent and adult relationships. In this chapter we review self-report measures of attachment orientations or styles and of individual differences in the functioning of other social 'behavioral systems' (Bowlby, 1982) such as caregiving and power. These measures are continuously being revised, expanded, extended, and translated into languages other than English, so the array of measures is likely to continue to evolve. But the measures included here provide a good starting point for anyone seeking to conduct research on adult attachment.