A validation of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures scale (ECR-RS) in adolescents

AbstractEmerging evidence points toward a two-dimensional attachment construct: avoidance and anxiety. The Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures scale (ECR-RS; Fraley, Heffernan, Vicary, & Brumbaugh, 2011) is a questionnaire assessing two-dimensional relationship-specific attachment structures in adults and, hence, moves beyond the traditional focus on romantic relationships. The present article explored the psychometric abilities of the ECR-RS across parental and best friend domains in a sample of 15 to 18-year-olds (n = 1999). Two oblique factors were revealed across domains, exhibiting satisfactory construct validity, including factor-specific links to the model of adult attachment (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), and independent factor discrimination between subgroups. A robust validation supports the application of the ECR-RS to assessing relationship-specific adolescent attachment structures.Keywords: Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures questionnaireself-reportattachment dimensionstest validityadolescents AcknowledgementsA poster illustrating portions of the present study was presented at the Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference in Oxford, UK, on 6 December 2012. The authors thank the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research for funding the survey. We would also like to thank the following for contributing to the translation process of the ECR-RS and RQ: Dr. Ken Watson, Professor Kim Bloomfield, Andreas Lambert, Sebastian Kotze, Mie Haller, Kirsten Frederiksen, Kristina Schroemmel, and Lars Evald.Notes1. The ECR-RS and RQ were translated into Danish following the guidelines of Beaton, Bombardier, Guillemin and Ferraz (Citation2000) and subsequently piloted in an age-appropriate sample. Contact corresponding author for translation report.