A New Measure for an Important Construct: The Attachment and Object Relations Inventory

The Relationship Between Adult Attachment and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Review

We aimed to (1) determine the extent of the relationship between attachment and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB), (2) investigate whether any gender differences exist, and (3) conduct a theoretical synthesis of the included studies. A systematic search of the databases Web of Science; EBSCO Host Medical and Psychology-related resources, which includes CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and PsycINFO; and EMBASE was conducted, with 52 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. While secure attachment acts as protective factor, insecure attachment orientations appear to be vulnerability factors compromising an individual's capacity to cope with relationship issues, increasing suicide risk. There is insufficient evidence about gender differences. The theoretical synthesis suggests that attachment, interacting with other psychological traits in response to negative life events, acts as a vulnerability or protective factor for STB. Implications for treatment are also discussed.

The Self-Report Assessment of Adolescent Attachment: A Systematic Review and Critique

The assessment of attachment beyond infancy remains a controversial issue. Over the past 20 years adolescent attachment has been assessed in a variety of ways but no ‘gold standard’ for its measurement has emerged. Considering the complexity of attachment theory and the implications for measuring such relationships during adolescence, this article undertakes a review of self-report attachment measures utilised for this age group. Results of a comprehensive PsycInfo literature search are examined with regard to studies reporting the measurement of adolescent attachment. A total of 822 citations were retrieved for the years 1990 to 2012; 394 of these abstracts were further scrutinised for use in the current review. Descriptive data from citations are reported for the measure of attachment used, sample size, age range, and psychometric properties. Following this, the most commonly used self-report measures of attachment for adolescents are reviewed in detail. Theoretical and methodological concerns regarding the measurement of adolescent attachment are discussed and recommendations made regarding key issues to consider for the development of new instruments grounded in contemporary theory and evidence.

Adult attachment measures: a 25-year review

OBJECTIVE

Over the past 25 years, attachment research has extended beyond infant-parent bonds to examine dyadic relationships in children, adolescents, and adults. Attachment has been shown to influence a wide array of biopsychosocial phenomena, including social functioning, coping, stress response, psychological well-being, health behavior, and morbidity, and has thus emerged as an important focus of psychosomatic research. This article reviews the measurement of adult attachment, highlighting instruments of relevance to-or with potential use in-psychosomatic research.

METHODS

Following a literature search of articles that were related to the scales and measurement methods of attachment in adult populations, 29 instruments were examined with respect to their utility for psychosomatic researchers.

RESULTS

Validity, reliability, and feasibility were tabulated on 29 instruments. Eleven of the instruments with strong psychometric properties, wide use, or use in psychosomatic research are described. These include the following: Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, and Main); Adult Attachment Projective (George and West); Adult Attachment Questionnaire (Simpson, Rholes, and Phillips); Adult Attachment Scale (and Revised Adult Attachment Scale) (Collins and Read); Attachment Style Questionnaire (Feeney); Current Relationship Interview (Crowell and Owens); Experiences in Close Relationships (Brennan, Clark, and Shaver) and Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (Fraley, Waller, and Brennan); Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker, Tupling, and Brown); Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire (West and Sheldon-Keller); Relationship Questionnaire (Bartholomew and Horowitz); and Relationship Scales Questionnaire (Grifiin and Bartholomew).

CONCLUSION

In addition to reliability and validity, investigators need to consider relationship focus, attachment constructs, dimensions or categories of interest, and the time required for training, administration, and scoring. Further considerations regarding attachment measurement in the context of psychosomatic research are discussed.

Young Adults' Retrospective Reports of Parenting by Mothers and Fathers: Associations With Current Relationship Quality

The authors examined retrospective reports of both mothers' and fathers' parenting and young adults' (N = 75) relationship quality. Multiple regression analyses showed that, as predicted, young adults' retrospective reports of the positive parenting they experienced as children were significantly related to the extent by which they currently viewed (a) others as accessible and responsive, (b) their relationships with others as meaningful and important, and (c) themselves as able to form healthy relationships. Although both mothers' and fathers' parenting related to the quality of current relationships with parents, only reports of fathers' parenting were related to the quality of current relationships with a romantic partner. Fathers' parenting was also related to views of the self as being able to form secure and close relationships. The authors address both methodological and substantive explanations for these results.

The Relationship of Adult Attachment Constructs to Object Relational Patterns of Representing Self and Others

This study examined the relation between attachment constructs assessed by self-report and object relations constructs assessed from narratives. Young adult participants (N = 65; median age 28) completed the Reciprocal Attachment Questionnaire (West, Sheldon, &Reiffer, 1987), provided a set of interpersonal narratives rated using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS; Westen, Barends, Leigh, Mendel, &Silbert, 1994), and completed other relationship-related measures. Results suggest some conceptual convergence between internal working models and representations of self, others, and relationships; for example, individuals who perceive significant others as offering a secure base for emotional connection tend to have complex, well-differentiated representations of self and others. In addition, multiple dimensions of object relationships were found to be significantly associated with participants' relationship status (current involvement in a significant relationship) and their parents' marital status.

The Relationship of Cognitive Style and Attachment Style to Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults

This study examined the associations between attachment style and cognitive style and depression and anxiety symptomatology. Using a college sample of 167 participants, the tripartite model of depression and anxiety (Clark & Watson, 1991) was employed to examine whether the construct of negative affectivity could account for the previously reported relationships between insecure attachment style and negative cognitive style and both depression and anxiety. Negative cognitive style and insecure attachment were found to be significantly associated with both depression and anxiety symptomatology. Although negative affectivity effectively accounted for the relationships between negative cognitive style and both depression and anxiety and could explain the relationship between insecure attachment and anxiety, it failed to account for the association between insecure attachment and depression. In addition, negative cognitive style and insecure attachment appeared to be independently and uniquely associated with negative affect, rather than forming a mediational relationship.

Advances in the assessment of object relations in the 1990s

In this paper, we review the empirical publications from the 1990s on the assessment of object relations (OR). Twelve different measures are referenced. Major findings of studies, conclusions, and evaluations of each measure are provided. In general, it was found that the most recent empirical literature has compared OR across diagnostic groups or evaluated therapy process and outcome by the quality of one's OR. Current strengths and limitations of the extant OR literature are provided, along with methodological recommendations to expand the utility and validity of OR assessment.

Revised guidelines for Urist's Mutuality of Autonomy Scale (MOA)

Research findings reported in the literature with less than 80% interrater agreement for the Rorschach Mutuality of Autonomy (MOA) scale may be problematic due to possible error. In preparation for a new Rorschach study using the MOA scale, we found it necessary to revise and clarify MOA scale scoring guidelines because they were confusing and ambiguous. A group of 19 naive graduate students improved their interrater agreement scores from 67% using guidelines from the literature, to 75% on the first revision, and these 19 raters plus 13 new raters produced an 80% agreement on a second revision. This revision, with only minor changes based on raters' feedback, is included in an appendix.