Table 1.
Five-item versions of the Adult Attachment Ratings.
| Location Thresholds |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Item Stem | Slope | 0 vs. 1 | 1 vs. 2 |
| Excessive dependency | |||
| 1. Tends to depend too much on other people; becomes “clingy” in relationships | 5.35 | 0.45 | 1.27 |
| 2. Has a great fear of rejection and “abandonment”; is sensitive to real (and perceived) deprivation of care, affection, and love and to disruptions in interpersonal relationships |
3.03 | −0.05 | 0.94 |
| 3. Has many passive-receptive wishes: wants to be loved, supported, understood, and guided by others |
2.80 | −0.33 | 0.94 |
| 4. Tends to be anxious and insecure because of the fear that he or she may lose an important relationship or person |
1.94 | 0.24 | 1.58 |
| 5. Tends to give up control to others; underestimates his/her own abilities and resources for coping | 1.58 | 0.31 | 1.64 |
| Ambivalent features | |||
| 1. Feelings tend to be intense and can alternate rapidly between positive and negative emotions | 3.55 | 0.17 | 1.06 |
| 2. Experiences anger (and even rage) over real (and perceived) deprivation | 3.10 | 0.08 | 1.06 |
| 3. Tends to be manipulative in relationships | 2.69 | 0.76 | 1.58 |
| 4. Has little capacity for delay of gratification and control of affect; experiences strong desires to be comforted and soothed in a direct and immediate way |
2.49 | −0.05 | 0.82 |
| 5. Interpersonal relationships are ambivalent, with a relative inability to resolve and integrate contradictory feelings (i.e., warm, loving feelings and hostile, angry feelings) toward the same person |
2.27 | −0.32 | 0.67 |
| Compulsive caregiving | |||
| 1. Has close relationships, but always takes the role of giving care and not that of receiving it | 5.08 | 0.94 | 1.79 |
| 2. Feels that it is easier to give help than to receive it | 2.05 | 0.58 | 1.76 |
| 3. Insists on providing help to others, even when they do not need or want it; is confused or hurt when others spurn his/her help |
1.38 | 1.89 | 3.49 |
| 4. Tends to pick partners or friends who are “lame ducks” (e.g., befriends people who are needy and vulnerable, either physically or emotionally) |
1.38 | 1.50 | 2.71 |
| 5. Occasionally becomes resentful about how much he or she is doing for others and how little he or she is receiving in return |
1.16 | 1.07 | 3.07 |
| Rigid self-control | |||
| 1. Thinking is analytical, critical, and precise; attention is focused on details, differences, and contradictions |
3.40 | 0.51 | 1.44 |
| 2. Intellectual processes (as an exaggerated means of control) are overvalued | 3.14 | 1.02 | 1.67 |
| 3. Is very concerned with work and productivity; often assumes that others will make allowances for his/her work in preference to other activities |
1.98 | 1.24 | 2.11 |
| 4. Tends to be a perfectionist | 1.95 | 0.72 | 2.12 |
| 5. Is persistent in working toward personal goals; tends to be an overachiever | 1.86 | 1.77 | 3.68 |
| Defensive separation | |||
| 1. Sense of well-being is dependent on preserving autonomy, directing his/her own activities, and being free from interference of others; values the achievement of a sense of separation, definition, and independence |
3.46 | 0.06 | 1.11 |
| 2. Exaggerated struggles to establish self-control and separateness interfere with the establishment of satisfying interpersonal relationships |
2.41 | 1.20 | 2.19 |
| 3. Maintains strong personal boundaries; great stress is placed on defining him/herself as separate and different from others |
2.15 | 0.63 | 1.73 |
| 4. Prefers to keep his/her options open rather than making permanent commitments; works to preserve and increase independence, personal choice, and mobility |
1.53 | 0.64 | 1.95 |
| 5. Insists on being self-sufficient, regardless of circumstances; tends to depend too little on other people and dislikes asking for help |
1.22 | 0.77 | 2.57 |
| Emotional detachment | |||
| 1. Tends to be antisocial and delinquent; tends not to display remorse or guilt when such reactions would be appropriate |
4.73 | 0.73 | 1.61 |
| 2. Focuses on getting positive results and places relatively little weight on the possible negative consequences of his/her actions |
3.83 | 0.60 | 1.67 |
| 3. Is somewhat oblivious to the effects of his/her actions on other people; is rather insensitive to other people’s needs and wishes |
2.25 | −0.13 | 1.04 |
| 4. Is less concerned than most people about physical illness and death | 2.03 | 1.91 | 2.88 |
| 5. Dislikes being held back, blocked, or deterred from doing what s/he wants to do; dislikes externally imposed directives, deadlines, demands, or pressures |
1.80 | 0.07 | 1.17 |
| Secure attachment | |||
| 1. Is relatively unconflicted about relationships; does not experience excessive dysphoria (e.g., guilt, ambivalence, separation anxiety) in this part of life |
4.73 | 0.80 | 1.87 |
| 2. Has relationships that are meaningful and satisfying with no perceived risk to the autonomy or integrity of the participants; such interactions are felt to be mutually enhancing rather than draining or depleting |
4.07 | 0.28 | 1.65 |
| 3. Has a good sense of his/her own identity, but also appreciates the personalities of others and finds pleasure in relating to them |
2.97 | 0.92 | 2.12 |
| 4. Tends to portray relationships in optimistic terms and associates them with genuine gratification | 2.69 | −0.12 | 1.57 |
| 5. Is comfortable both being with people and being apart from people | 2.57 | 0.03 | 2.09 |