Authors

K. Bartholomew and L. M. Horowitz (Adaptation: V. Daskalou and E. Sygkollitou).

Purpose

The questionnaire seeks information regarding the forms of emotional connection that appear in relation to specific types of relationships, such as those with parents and close friends.

Brief Description

The questionnaire consists of four statements, which include general self-descriptions. Each statement represents a different type of attachment (secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing) in close interpersonal relationships. The creators highlight that this specific questionnaire can be adapted for use in exploring attachment within particular relationships. In this research, the document was translated by the authors with the purpose of evaluating attachment to parents and friends. The two questionnaires were administered to participants separately, with sufficient time in between, in order to avoid confusion and the interaction of responses given to them.

Sample

The questionnaire was administered to a group of 460 adults, selected through random sampling. The participants were individuals aged between 18 and 25 years old, with a mean age of 21 years, and came mainly from public Vocational Training Institutes (IEK) in the prefectures of Thessaloniki and Chalkidiki, as well as from departments of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Thessaloniki. The sample consisted of 209 men (45.4%) and 251 women (54.6%). Completion of the questionnaire was voluntary and took place during class time under the guidance of the researcher.

Scoring Method

The present questionnaire uses a seven-point rating scale, but in the conduct of this research, participants were asked to categorically rank the statements that describe their relationship with their parents and close friends. Specifically, regarding attachment to parents, 42.7% of participants referred to the secure type, 11.3% to the fearful type, 12.5% to the preoccupied type, and 32.4% to the dismissing type of attachment. As for attachment to friends, 45.3% referred to the secure type, 18.5% to the fearful type, 17.8% to the preoccupied type, and 18.5% to the dismissing type of attachment.

Main Bibliographic Source

Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of the four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244.