Measuring Attachment: Developmental Assessment across the Lifespan

This volume explores attachment behavior and representations from infancy to adulthood, with expert discussions of traditional and emerging measures. It provides a developmental framework and is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners.

Format: Hardback
Length: 478 pages
Publication date: 07 June 2021
Publisher: Guilford Publications

This comprehensive volume delves into a thorough exploration of both traditional and emerging measures of attachment behavior and representations spanning from infancy to adulthood. Renowned experts in the field offer their invaluable insights on a range of assessment tools, including the Strange Situation, the Attachment Q-set, Ainsworth's Maternal Sensitivity Scales, the Adult Attachment Interview, the Attachment Script Assessments, and the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System. Additionally, the book discusses analogue and experimental methods, shedding light on the conceptual and empirical foundations of these measures. By providing detailed discussions of key constructs such as attachment security, the secure base phenomenon, disorganization, and narrative structure, this text serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners alike who utilize attachment assessments in their work.

The Strange Situation, developed by Mary Ainsworth, is a classic test that measures attachment behavior in infants. It involves a series of interactions between the infant and a stranger, such as being left alone, reunited with the parent, and experiencing a separation. The infant's reactions to these situations are observed and analyzed to assess their attachment style.

The Attachment Q-set, also developed by Ainsworth, is a more comprehensive assessment that measures attachment styles in adults. It consists of a series of questions that assess individuals' perceptions of their relationships with their parents, romantic partners, and close friends. The responses are scored based on patterns of attachment behavior.

Ainsworth's Maternal Sensitivity Scales are a set of questionnaires that measure the quality of maternal care during infancy. They assess the mother's responsiveness, sensitivity, and engagement with the infant, which are believed to be important predictors of attachment security.

The Adult Attachment Interview, developed by Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues, is a structured interview that assesses adult attachment styles. It involves a series of questions that explore individuals' perceptions of their relationships with their parents, romantic partners, and close friends, as well as their own attachment history.

The Attachment Script Assessments, developed by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller, are a set of self-report questionnaires that measure individuals' attachment scripts, which are patterns of beliefs and behaviors related to attachment. They assess individuals' beliefs about attachment, their expectations of others' attachment behavior, and their own attachment behaviors in different relationships.

The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, developed by Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues, is a set of projective measures that assess adult attachment styles. It involves the presentation of ambiguous pictures and the interpretation of the individual's responses to these pictures. The responses are used to assess their attachment patterns and their emotional regulation abilities.

In addition to these measures, there are other analogue and experimental methods used to study attachment behavior. These methods include observational studies, which involve observing individuals in naturalistic settings and recording their attachment behaviors; experimental studies, which involve manipulating variables and observing their effects on attachment behavior; and genetic studies, which involve examining the genetic factors that influence attachment behavior.

Overall, this volume provides a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of traditional and emerging measures of attachment behavior and representations from infancy to adulthood. It is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and anyone interested in understanding attachment and its implications for human development and relationships.

Weight: 816g
Dimension: 163 x 243 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781462546473