1. Scale Overview

The Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) scale is a classic tool for measuring adult attachment styles, developed by Brennan et al. (1998) based on Hazan and Shaver's attachment theory. By assessing individuals' anxiety and avoidance tendencies in close relationships, it quantifies attachment types and is widely used in psychology, clinical counseling, and interpersonal relationship research.

While initially designed to evaluate attachment patterns in intimate relationships, subsequent studies have shown it's equally effective for measuring attachment styles in general interpersonal relationships. Therefore, this assessment will help you understand your typical attachment tendencies in social interactions.

2. Assessment Instructions

Please answer based on your usual experiences when interacting with others. Here, "relationships" are not limited to romantic or intimate relationships, but include all social interactions with friends, family, colleagues, etc.

• Number of items: 36
• Estimated time: ~15 minutes

3. Theoretical Basis

ECR is based on adult attachment theory, proposing that individual attachment patterns consist of two core dimensions:

1. Attachment Anxiety: Reflects excessive worry about abandonment or relationship stability, manifesting as emotional dependence and excessive reassurance-seeking.
2. Attachment Avoidance: Reflects resistance to intimacy and emotional detachment, manifesting as excessive independence and avoidance of deep emotional communication.

These two dimensions classify attachment styles into four categories:

1. Secure (Low Avoidance + Low Anxiety)
• Comfortable depending on others and being depended upon.
• Feels secure in relationships, rarely overly worried or troubled by rejection.
2. Preoccupied (Low Avoidance + High Anxiety)
• Desires intimacy but often worries about being insufficiently valued.
• Tends to excessively seek reassurance, fears abandonment.
3. Fearful (High Avoidance + High Anxiety)
• Both fears rejection and struggles to trust others.
• Experiences conflict between desiring intimacy and fearing hurt.
4. Dismissing (High Avoidance + Low Anxiety)
• Tends to maintain emotional distance, views dependence as unnecessary.
• Has low need for intimacy, rarely anxious about rejection.

4. Scale Structure

ECR contains 36 items (ECR-R revised version has 18), using a 7-point Likert scale (1="Strongly Disagree" to 7="Strongly Agree"), divided into two subscales:

• Anxiety dimension: "I worry that my partner won't care about me as much as I care about them." "I need my partner to constantly reassure me they love me."
• Avoidance dimension: "I don't like sharing my inner feelings with my partner." "I prefer not to depend on others."

5. Application Scenarios

1. Clinical assessment: Identifying attachment issues to assist marriage counseling or psychotherapy.
2. Academic research: Exploring relationships between attachment styles and mental health/relationship quality.
3. Self-awareness: Helping individuals understand their behavioral patterns in close relationships.

6. Reliability and Validity

ECR has excellent psychometric properties:

• Reliability: Cronbach's α typically >0.85 (anxiety/avoidance dimensions).
• Validity: Shows significant correlations with other tools like Adult Attachment Interview (AAI).

7. Summary

ECR is an effective tool for assessing adult attachment, with its two-dimensional model providing scientific basis for understanding behavioral patterns in close relationships. Users should combine it with interviews or other assessment methods for comprehensive analysis of attachment characteristics.

Reference:
Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(1), 1238-1259.