Version française de la Relationship Specific Experience in Close Relationships scale (RS-ECR)

Abstract

A good daily social functioning depends on the fact that the individuals can find and maintain proximity, contacts, and real interactions with others, that is, the individuals can be provided with a sense of both physical and psychological security. This is adult attachment (e.g., Hazan & Diamond, 2000). Mizrahi et al. (2016) published a study whose aim was to explore the links between sexuality and specific attachment strategies within young couples. To this end, the authors adapted the brief version proposed by Mikulincer and Florian (2000) of the Experience in Close Relationships Scale (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) – the Relationship Specific Experience in Close Relationships scale – in order to reflect the way the individuals are attached to their actual romantic partner. No such a tool exists for French native speakers. The present study is thus an attempt to propose a French version of this brief scale addressed to couple relationships. The participants were the partners of 115 heterosexual couples (n=230) whose couple duration varied from 1 to 54 years (M=15.83, ET=13.85). They filled out a translated version of Mizrahi et al. (2016)’s Relationship Specific Experience in Close Relationships Scale which is a self-report questionnaire including 16 items. These items are designed in such a way that half enable to evaluate anxious attachment strategies and half enable to evaluate avoidant attachment strategies vis-à-vis the partner. The factorial structure (two factors: anxious attachment strategy and avoidant attachment strategy) as well as the Cronbach's alphas are generally satisfying for the items of this version and are similar to those observed by Mizrahi et al. (2016). The same thing is true for the scores of women and men. Nevertheless, the results also show the weakness of several items or mixed saturations. These limitations are discussed. Generally, the use of this French version to rate the attachment strategies of romantic partners is discussed in terms of its relevance for the evaluation of the consequences of specific attachment strategies on diverse couples’ issues such as their dyadic adjustment, intimacy, or dyadic coping.