Attachment Style Quiz
The attachment style quiz (based on the ECR-R, Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised) is a self-report questionnaire that maps how you relate in close relationships onto two dimensions, Attachment Anxiety and Attachment Avoidance, and the four adult attachment styles of Bartholomew and Horowitz: Secure, Preoccupied, Dismissing-Avoidant and Fearful-Avoidant.
Discover your adult attachment style using validated relationship psychology. Based on the four-category model of Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) and the dimensional framework of the Experiences in Close Relationships — Revised (ECR-R), this quiz maps your responses onto two core dimensions: Attachment Anxiety and Attachment Avoidance.
What is Attachment Style?
Attachment style refers to the characteristic pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours you bring to close relationships, rooted in early experiences with caregivers. Developed by John Bowlby (1969) and extended by Mary Ainsworth and colleagues (1978), attachment theory proposes that early bonding experiences create an internal working model that shapes how you relate to others throughout your life.
Adult attachment styles are typically described along two underlying dimensions: Attachment Anxiety (fear of abandonment, worry about relationship stability) and Attachment Avoidance (discomfort with closeness, preference for self-reliance). The combination of these dimensions produces four attachment styles described by Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991): Secure, Preoccupied, Dismissing-Avoidant, and Fearful-Avoidant (Disorganized).
Attachment styles are not fixed destiny. Research consistently shows that earned security — developing a secure attachment style through positive adult relationships and therapy — is possible and common. Attachment-focused therapies such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Schema Therapy directly address attachment patterns to improve relationship quality and emotional wellbeing.
What the attachment style quiz measures
The quiz measures two dimensions of adult attachment in close relationships, following the ECR-R framework: Attachment Anxiety (worry about abandonment and a strong need for closeness and reassurance) and Attachment Avoidance (discomfort with intimacy and a preference for emotional self-reliance). In the ECR-R these correspond to the model of self and the model of others. It is an educational tool about a dimensional personality construct, not a measure of an attachment disorder.
How to administer the attachment style quiz
This is a self-report quiz. Rate how much each statement describes you in close relationships on a scale of 1–7. Answer for how you generally feel in close relationships rather than about one recent event.
Attachment style quiz scoring and interpretation
Responses are summarized as standing on the two dimensions; there are no clinical cutoffs. Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) organized adult attachment into four styles using two underlying dimensions: a person's model of self (positive or negative) and model of others (positive or negative). Each style reflects a distinct combination of Attachment Anxiety and Attachment Avoidance.
| Style | Anxiety | Avoidance | Self-model | Other-model | Core pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secure | Low | Low | Positive | Positive | Comfortable with closeness and interdependence; able to depend on others and have others depend on them |
| Preoccupied | High | Low | Negative | Positive | Strongly desires closeness but fears rejection; may seem "clingy" or seek excessive reassurance |
| Dismissing-Avoidant | Low | High | Positive | Negative | Values independence highly; minimizes the importance of relationships; may appear emotionally distant |
| Fearful-Avoidant | High | High | Negative | Negative | Wants closeness but fears being hurt; often described as having a disorganized or ambivalent relational pattern |
Psychometric properties
This quiz is an educational tool based on the ECR-R framework and has not been separately validated; the figures below describe the published scales it draws on.
- ECR-R test-retest stability. The ECR-R provided highly stable indicators of attachment over a 3-week period (85% shared variance), and explained 30% to 40% of between-person variation in diary ratings of attachment-related emotions during interactions with a romantic partner (Sibley et al., 2005).
- ECR short form. A 12-item short form showed a good-fitting two-factor structure (Anxiety and Avoidance), test-retest reliability was examined over 1 month, and validity was equivalent to the original ECR across studies (Wei et al., 2007).
- Four-category model. Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) validated the four styles against self-report measures of self-concept and interpersonal functioning; each style was associated with a distinct profile of interpersonal problems by both self- and friend-report.
Limitations
- Not a diagnosis. Attachment style is a dimensional personality construct, not a disorder; clinically significant relationship difficulties need assessment by a registered mental health professional.
- Not the ECR-R itself. Results are an educational approximation, not a validated ECR-R score.
- Categories simplify dimensions. Four styles are a convenient summary of two continuous dimensions; people near the middle of a dimension may not fit one style cleanly.
- Self-report. Answers can be shaped by current relationship circumstances and mood.
Attachment Style in Therapy
Attachment style has well-established relevance to how therapy unfolds. A meta-analysis of 14 studies (n = 1,467) found that secure attachment pretreatment predicted better therapy outcomes (d = 0.37), while anxious attachment was associated with poorer outcomes (d = −0.46); avoidant attachment was largely uncorrelated with outcome (Levy et al., 2011). An updated meta-analysis of 36 studies (n = 3,158) replicated these findings and found that patients with pretreatment insecurity may benefit particularly from treatments that incorporate an explicit focus on interpersonal relationships and close attachment patterns (Levy et al., 2018).
The therapeutic relationship itself mirrors attachment dynamics. Clients with preoccupied styles may form intense alliances quickly but show heightened distress around ruptures; dismissing-avoidant clients may present as highly self-sufficient and downplay distress, which can mask therapeutic need; fearful-avoidant clients often show the most variable alliance quality. Clinicians working with insecurely attached clients frequently integrate attachment-informed approaches — such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples or Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT) for adolescents — that explicitly target the internal working model.
Benson, Sevier, and Christensen (2013) found in an RCT of behavioural couples therapy that improvement in relationship satisfaction appeared to drive subsequent changes in attachment security, rather than the reverse. This suggests that in at least some therapies, changes in attachment style may be a byproduct of improved relationship functioning rather than a prerequisite for it — a clinically important nuance for setting expectations with clients.
Adult Attachment Measurement Tools
Several self-report and interview-based tools assess adult attachment. The table below summarizes the most widely used tools and their key features.
| Tool | Format | Items | What it yields | Key reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECR-R (Experiences in Close Relationships — Revised) | Self-report, 7-point Likert | 36 | Continuous scores on Anxiety and Avoidance dimensions; high test-retest reliability (~85% shared variance over 3 weeks) | Sibley et al., 2005 |
| ECR-SF (ECR Short Form) | Self-report, 7-point Likert | 12 | Anxiety and Avoidance subscales; validity equivalent to full ECR across samples | Wei et al., 2007 |
| RQ (Relationship Questionnaire) | Self-report, single forced-choice + continuous ratings | 4 prototypes | Categorical four-style classification (Secure, Preoccupied, Fearful, Dismissing); simpler but less precise than dimensional measures | Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991 |
| AAI (Adult Attachment Interview) | Clinician-administered semi-structured interview | ~20 questions | Coded narrative classifications (Secure-Autonomous, Dismissing, Preoccupied, Unresolved); requires specialist training; considered the criterion standard for attachment assessment in research | George, Kaplan & Main, 1984 |
The ECR-R and its short form are the most commonly used measures in clinical outcome research and large-sample studies. The RQ offers a brief categorical snapshot useful in clinical conversation. The AAI is reserved for research and specialist clinical contexts because of the training and coding time it requires.
Measuring Relationship Concerns in HiBoop
HiBoop does not offer the ECR-R; this page is reference material. For emotion regulation and related symptoms, HiBoop offers the ERQ, PHQ-9, and GAD-7, with automated scoring and tracking over time.
HiBoop does not offer this scale. This page is reference material.This library is an academic and clinical reference. A scale described here is not necessarily offered in HiBoop; each page says whether it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this quiz diagnose an attachment disorder?
No. This quiz is an educational tool based on attachment style research — it is not a clinical diagnosis. Attachment style is a dimensional personality construct, not a disorder. A registered mental health professional is needed to assess clinically significant relationship difficulties.
What is the difference between Attachment Anxiety and Attachment Avoidance?
Attachment Anxiety reflects worry about abandonment and a strong need for closeness and reassurance. Attachment Avoidance reflects discomfort with intimacy and a preference for emotional self-reliance. All four attachment styles are defined by a combination of low or high standing on each dimension.
Can attachment style change over time?
Yes. Research supports the concept of 'earned security' — people can develop more secure patterns through positive adult relationships and therapy. A 2018 meta-analysis found that patients who showed gains in attachment security during treatment also tended to show better therapy outcomes.
Is this quiz self-report or clinician-administered?
This is a self-report quiz based on the ECR-R framework. The ECR-R itself (Sibley, Fischer & Liu, 2005) is also self-report and yields continuous scores on Anxiety and Avoidance dimensions. Clinician-administered measures such as the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) exist but are used in specialist research and clinical settings.
Bill this assessment
The Attachment Style Quiz qualifies for reimbursement under these CPT codes (US).
Measurement-based care in practice
For clinicians
HiBoop does not offer this scale. For the scales it does offer, HiBoop automates delivery, scoring and longitudinal tracking across your patient panel.
For individuals
This page is a clinical reference, not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about your own symptoms, bring this information to a qualified mental health professional.
References
- 1.Bartholomew K, Horowitz LM. Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991;61(2):226-44.View source
- 2.Sibley CG, Fischer R, Liu JH. Reliability and validity of the revised experiences in close relationships (ECR-R) self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2005;31(11):1524-36.View source
- 3.Levy KN, Kivity Y, Johnson BN, Gooch CV. Adult attachment as a predictor and moderator of psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analysis. J Clin Psychol. 2018;74(11):1996-2013.View source
- 4.Wei M, Russell DW, Mallinckrodt B, Vogel DL. The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR)-short form: reliability, validity, and factor structure. J Pers Assess. 2007;88(2):187-204.View source
Last reviewed: Jun 3, 2026
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