title: Assessing secure base behavior in adulthood: development of a measure, links to adult attachment representations, and relations to couples' communication and reports of relationships.
abstract: A focus on the secure base phenomenon creates a framework for exploring the function of the attachment system in adulthood. Engaged couples (N = 157) were videotaped in a problem-solving interaction and assessed using the Secure Base Scoring System (SBSS), a system based on Ainsworth's analyses of infant-parent secure base use and support. Study 1 showed behavior was significantly related to representations assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (M. Main & R. Goldwyn, 1994). In Study 2, the interactions were independently scored with the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (RMICS; R. E. Heyman & D. Vivian, 1993), a communication-based system. The SBSS predicted relationship variables beyond the RMICS, especially for women. Results indicate that the secure base phenomenon provides a cogent perspective on adult attachment behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794, USA. jcrowell@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Crowell
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Treboux
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Celene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fyffe
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Everett
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D009769:Object Attachment; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011340:Problem Solving; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic