title: The Experiences in Close Relationships-Relationship Structures questionnaire: a method for assessing attachment orientations across relationships.
abstract: Most research on adult attachment is based on the assumption that working models are relatively general and trait-like. Recent research, however, suggests that people develop attachment representations that are relationship-specific, leading people to hold distinct working models in different relationships. The authors report a measure, the Relationship Structures questionnaire of the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-RS; R. C. Fraley, N. G. Waller, & K. A. Brennan, 2000), that is designed to assess attachment dimensions in multiple contexts. Based on a sample of over 21,000 individuals studied online, it is shown that ECR-RS scores are reliable and have a structure similar to those produced by other measures. In Study 2 (N = 388), it is shown that relationship-specific measures of attachment generally predict intra- and interpersonal outcomes better than broader attachment measures but that broader measures predict personality traits better than relationship-specific measures. Moreover, it is demonstrated that differentiation in working models is not related to psychological outcomes independently of mean levels of security.
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 East Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA. rcfraley@illinois.edu
authors: R Chris
authors: RC
authors: Fraley
authors: Marie E
authors: ME
authors: Heffernan
authors: Amanda M
authors: AM
authors: Vicary
authors: Claudia Chloe
authors: CC
authors: Brumbaugh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards