A Comparison of Self-Report Adult Attachment Measures: How Do They Converge and Diverge?

Using a sample of 448 undergraduate students the study compared two self-report adult attachment measures: the original three-category Attachment Style Prototype (ASP) and the two-dimension four-category Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR). The distribution of attachment style categories assessed by the two measures differed significantly, and the shifts among the categories were not related solely to the introduction of the fourth category in ECR. However, the two measures were related in meaningful ways, despite differences in conceptualization. The dimensional ECR was a better predictor of the criterion variables, conflict resolution behaviors (measured by Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II), than the ASP. The dimensional ECR is a more sensitive and powerful instrument in the relationship context examined. However, categorical measures provide a broad description of the archetype of the attachment style category.