Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Next article
Original Communication

Validation of the French Version of the Experiences in Close Relationships– Revised (ECR-R) Adult Romantic Attachment Questionnaire

Published Online:June 20, 2016https://doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185/a000177

Abstract

Abstract. This study aimed to validate the French version of the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR-R) adult attachment questionnaire by investigating its internal structure and construct validity. The sample (N = 600) consisted of an equal number of male and female participants aged 25–45 years. Variables linked to adult romantic attachment (marital satisfaction, sexual satisfaction and fears associated with sexual activities, and self-esteem) were assessed using a set of questionnaires. The reliability of the two attachment dimensions (viz., avoidance and anxiety) was satisfactory. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the original two-factor model explained the data collected with the French ECR-R most satisfactorily. The assessment of measurement invariance showed that the structure is the same across the original U. S. sample and our sample, across men and women, and across single individuals and those in a couple relationship. Our evaluation of construct validity showed that the higher avoidance and anxiety, the lower self-esteem and sexual satisfaction and the higher the fears associated with sexuality. These results are theoretically coherent and consistent with those of previous studies of the English version of the scale. We conclude that the French version is valid.

References

  • Ainsworth, M., Blehar, M., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Arbuckle, J. L. (2012). Amos (Version 21.0) [Computer Program]. Chicago, IL: IBM SPSS. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.61.2.226 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Brassard, A., Shaver, P. R., & Lussier, Y. (2007). Attachment, sexual experience, and sexual pressure in romantic relationships: A dyadic approach. Personal Relationships, 14, 475–493. doi 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00166.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Brennan, K. A., Clark, C., & Shaver, P. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult romantic attachment: An integrative overview. In J. SimpsonW. RholesEds., Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Carroll, J. B. (1995). On methodology in the study of cognitive abilities. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 30, 429–452. doi 10.1207/s15327906mbr3003_6 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences (2nd ed.). New York: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Collins, N. L. (1996). Working models of attachment: Implications for explanation, emotion, and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 810–832. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.71.4.810 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., & Vernon, M. L. (2003). Physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions to breaking up: The roles of gender, age, emotional involvement, and attachment style. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 871–884. doi 10.1177/ 0146167203029007006 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., Widaman, K. F., Vernon, M. L., Follette, W. C., & Beitz, K. (2006). “I can’t get no satisfaction”: Insecure attachment, inhibited sexual communication, and sexual dissatisfaction. Personal Relationships, 13, 465–483. doi 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00130.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Del Giudice, M. (2011). Sex differences in romantic attachment: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 193–214. doi 10.1177/0146167210392789 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • DeVellis, R. (2003). Scale development: Theory and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Feeney, J. (1999). Adult attachment, emotional control, and marital satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 6, 169–185. doi 10.1111/ j.1475-6811.1999.tb00185.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Feeney, J., & Noller, P. (1996). Adult attachment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Feeney, J., Noller, P., & Hanrahan, M. (1994). Assessing adult attachment. In M. SperlingW. BermanEds., Attachment in adults: Clinical and developmental perspectives (pp. 128–152). New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Fraley, R., Waller, N., & Brennan, K. (2000). An item response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 350–365. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.350 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Griffin, D., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). The metaphysics of measurement: The case of adult attachment. In K. BartholomewD. PerlmanEds., Advances in personal relationships: Attachment processes in adulthood (Vol. 5, pp. 17–52). London, UK: Kingsley. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hu, L.-T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55. doi 10.1080/10705519909540118 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • IBM Corp. (2013). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 22.0) [Computer Program]. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Johnson, S. (2004). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection. New York: Brunner-Routledge. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Klohnen, E. C., & Bera, S. (1998). Behavioral and experiential patterns of avoidantly and securely attached women across adulthood: A 31-year longitudinal perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 211–223. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.211 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lafontaine, M.-F., & Lussier, Y. (2003). Structure bidimensionnelle de l’attachement amoureux: anxiété face à l’abandon et évitement de l’intimité [Bidimensional structure of attachment in love: Anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy]. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 35, 56–60. doi 10.1037/h0087187 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Locke, H., & Wallace, K. (1959). Short marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability and validity. Marriage and Family Living, 21, 251–255. doi 10.2307/348022 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mallinckrodt, B., & Wei, M. (2005). Attachment, social competencies, social support, and psychological distress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 358–367. doi 10.1037/0022-0167.52.3.358 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mikulincer, M., & Goodman, G. (2006). Dynamics of romantic love: Attachment, caregiving and sex. New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics and change. New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2012). An attachment perspective on psychopathology. World Psychiatry, 11, 11–15. doi 10.1016/j.wpsyc.2012.01.003 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2011). Mplus (Version 6.12) [Computer Program]. Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Rigdon, E. E. (1996). CFI versus RMSEA: A comparison of two fit indexes for structural equation modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 3, 369–379. doi 10.1080/10705519609540052 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Robins, R. W., Hendin, H. M., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2001). Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 151–161. doi 10.1177/0146167201272002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rogers, W., Bidwell, J., & Wilson, L. (2005). Perception of and satisfaction with relationship power, sex, and attachment styles: A couples level analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 20, 241–251. doi 10.1007/s10896-005-5988-8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schmitt, D. P., & Allik, J. (2005). Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in 53 nations: Exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 623–642. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.623 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Shaver, P. R., Schachner, D. A., & Mikulincer, M. (2005). Attachment style, excessive reassurance seeking, relationship processes, and depression. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 343–359. doi 10.1177/0146167204271709 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sibley, C. G., Fischer, R., & Liu, J. H. (2005). Reliability and validity of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1524–1536. doi 10.1177/0146167205276865 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sibley, C. G., & Liu, J. H. (2004). Short-term temporal stability and factor structure of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) measure of adult attachment. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 969–975. doi 10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00165-X First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Simpson, J., Rholes, S., & Phillips, D. (1996). Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 899–914. doi 10.1037/0022-3514.71.5.899 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Snell, W. E. J., Fisher, T. D., & Walters, A. S. (1993). The Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire: An objective self-report measure of psychological tendencies associated with human sexuality. Annals of Sex Research, 6, 27–55. doi 10.1007/BF00849744 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Treboux, D., Crowell, J. A., & Waters, E. (2004). When “new” meets “old”: Configurations of adult attachment representations and their implications for marital functioning. Developmental Psychology, 40, 295–314. doi 10.1037/0012-1649.40.2.295 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Wearden, A. J., Lamberton, N., Crook, N., & Walsh, V. (2005). Adult attachment, alexithymia, and symptom reporting: An extension to the four category model of attachment. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 58, 279–288. doi 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.09.010 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Wei, M., Vogel, D. L., Ku, T.-Y., & Zakalik, R. A. (2005). Adult attachment, affect regulation, negative mood, and interpersonal problems: The mediating roles of emotional reactivity and emotional cutoff. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 14–24. doi 10.1037/0022-0167.52.1.14 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Williams, N. L., & Riskind, J. H. (2004). Adult romantic attachment and cognitive vulnerabilities to anxiety and depression: Examining the interpersonal basis of vulnerability models. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 18, 7–24. doi 10.1891/jcop.18.1.7.28047 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Wright, J., & Sabourin, S. (1985). L’intervention auprès du couple [Couple intervention]. Québec, CA: Consultation. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Zinbarg, R., Revelle, W., Yovel, I., & Li, W. (2005). Cronbach’s α, Revelle’s β, and McDonald’s ωH: Their relations with each other and two alternative conceptualizations of reliability. Psychometrika, 70, 123–133. doi 10.1007/s11336-003-0974-7 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar