Discovering the hierarchical structure of variables describing adult attachment: insight from a joint analysis of seven questionnaires

Abstract

AbstractOur work aimed to discover the structure of variables developed to conceptualize attachment dimensions in seven main approaches and measurement instruments. A group of 435 participants (49.7% female, 46.2% male, 4.1% non-binary/other identities) between the ages of 16 and 65 (M = 24.8, SD = 8.1) completed a series of seven questionnaires commonly used to measure attachment. A series of exploratory factor analyses was performed on the scales and items. In the analysis on the scales, the two-factor structure of Anxiety and Avoidance was reproduced. In the analysis on the items, a meaningful hierarchical six-level structure was discovered. Dimensions of Anxiety and Avoidance are quite similar across models, but Avoidance is much more complex than Anxiety. Anxiety remains in principle the same across all levels of the hierarchy, while Avoidance divides into several lower-order traits. The lower-order traits of Avoidance need reconceptualization, and the current study takes a step in this direction.