Attachment measures

Attachment measures refer to the various procedures used to assess attachment in children and adults.

Researchers have developed various ways of assessing attachment in children, including the Strange Situation and story-based approaches such as Attachment Story Completion Test. These methods allow children to be classified into four attachment styles: secure, anxious-ambivalent, anxious-avoidant, and disorganised, called 'A, B, C,and D' in research. Attachment in adults is commonly measured using the Adult Attachment Interview and self-report questionnaires. Self-report questionnaires have identified two dimensions of attachment, one dimension dealing with anxiety about the relationship, and the other dimension dealing with avoidance in the relationship. These dimensions define four styles of adult attachment: secure, preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant.

Researchers have developed various ways of assessing attachment in children. A variety of methods allow children to be classified into four attachment styles: secure, anxious-ambivalent, anxious-avoidant, and disorganized/disoriented, or assess disorders of attachment. These classifications are also referred to as Secure (Group B); Anxious/Resistant (Group C); Avoidant (Group A) and Disorganized (Group D). Each organized style is further broken down into several sub-categories. A child classified with the disorganazed style will be given a "next best fit" organized classification as disorganized attachment is thought to represent a break-down of attachment strategy.

Attachment in adults is commonly measured using the Adult Attachment Interview and self-report questionnaires. Self-report questionnaires have identified two dimensions of attachment, one dimension dealing with anxiety about the relationship, and the other dimension dealing with avoidance in the relationship. These dimensions define four styles of adult attachment: secure, preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant.

Measuring Attachment in Children
Researchers have developed several ways to assess attachment in children. These include the following:
 * 1) Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth
 * 2) Attachment Story Completion Test
 * 3) Preschool Assessment of Attachment ("PAA", Crittenden 1992),
 * 4) Observational Record of the Caregiving Environment ("ORCE")
 * 5) Attachment Q-sort ("AQ-sort").
 * 6) Disturbances of Attachment Interview or "DAI" developed by Smyke and Zeanah, (1999).

Measuring Attachment in Adults
The two main ways of measuring attachment in adults include the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and self-report questionnaires.

Recommended Reading

 * Becker-Weidman, A., & Shell, D., (Eds). (2005) Creating Capacity for Attachment Wood N Barnes, Oklahoma City, OK. ISBN 1-885473-72-9
 * Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P., (Eds). (1999) Handbook of Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications. Guilford Press, NY.
 * Greenberg, MT, Cicchetti, D., & Cummings, EM., (Eds) (1990) Attachment in the Preschool Years: Theory, Research and Intervention University of Chicago, Chicago.
 * Greenspan, S. (1993) Infancy and Early Childhood. Madison, CT: International Universities Press.  ISBN 0-8236-2633-4.
 * Holmes, J. (1993) John Bowlby and Attachment Theory. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-07730-3.
 * Holmes, J. (2001) The Search for the Secure Base: Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy. London: Brunner-Routledge. ISBN 1-58391-152-9.
 * Karen R (1998) Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511501-5.
 * Parkes, CM, Stevenson-Hinde, J., Marris, P., (Eds.) (1991) Attachment Across The Life Cycle Routledge. NY. ISBN 0-415-05651-9
 * Siegler R., DeLoache, J. & Eisenberg, N. (2003) How Children develop. New York: Worth. ISBN 1-57259-249-4.
 * Sturt, SM (Ed) (2006). New Developments in Child Abuse Research Nove, NY. ISBN 1-59454-980-X