Brief Description

The Relationships Questionnaire consists of four self-descriptions that correspond to the four adult attachment styles defined by Bartholomew and Horowitz: secure, preoccupied, dismissing-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant. Participants are asked to first select the one description that best represents them, and then rate the extent to which each description applies to them using a seven-point scale.

Purpose

The tool is designed to assess adult attachment styles in the context of close interpersonal relationships. It focuses on evaluating attachment patterns that develop in adulthood.

Scoring Method

The first part of the assessment is qualitative: the respondent chooses the one description that best reflects their relational style. In the second part, the respondent rates all four descriptions on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 7 (very much), indicating how well each one applies to them.

Validity

The validity of the tool is supported through correlations with other psychometric measures. Specifically, statistically significant associations have been found between the fearful and dismissing attachment styles of the RQ and the avoidance dimension of the Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire. Additionally, the involvement dimension of the RQ has been associated with the preoccupied attachment style.

Reliability

No official reliability coefficients (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) are reported for this version of the tool.

Data Analysis and Use

Data from the RQ can be analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Analysis may involve categorizing individuals by dominant attachment type or statistically processing the scores for each style for research purposes (e.g., correlations with other variables, group comparisons using t-tests or ANOVA). The tool is suitable for studies on close relationships, psychotherapeutic assessments, and educational interventions.

References

Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244.
Kafetsios, K. (2005). Attachment, Emotion, and Interpersonal Relationships. Athens: Dardanos.
Tsagarakis, M., Kafetsios, K., & Stalikas, A. (2007). Factor structure, validity, and reliability of the Greek version of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) measure of adult attachment. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 23(1), 47–55.