Chris G. Sibley

Reliability and Validity of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) Self-Report Measure of Adult Romantic Attachment

Three studies examine the psychometric properties (i.e., the test-retest reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity) of Fraley, Waller, and Brennan’s Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR-R) self-report measure of romantic attachment anxiety (model of self) and avoidance (model of others). Longitudinal analyses suggest that the ECR-R provided highly stable indicators of latent attachment during a 3-week period (85% shared variance). Hierarchical linear modeling analyses further validated the ECR-R, suggesting that it explained between 30% to 40% of the between-person variation in social interaction diary ratings of attachment-related emotions experienced during interactions with a romantic partner and only 5% to 15% of that in interactions with family and friends. Guidelines are offered regarding the conditions where highly reliable and precise measures of romantic attachment, such as the ECR-R, are deemed necessary and where shorter, albeit slightly less reliable measures, such as Bartholomew and Horowitz’s Relationship Questionnaire, may also be viable.

Short-term temporal stability and factor structure of the revised experiences in close relationships (ECR-R) measure of adult attachment

Abstract The factor structure and short-term temporal stability of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000) were examined. Separate exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the ECR-R provided a reliable and replicable dual factor self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. These results provide important additional information about the ECR-R, and suggest that the scale maintains acceptable classical psychometric properties while also assessing a range of trait scores more evenly distributed than previous measures (as reported by Fraley et al., 2000). Latent variable path analyses suggested that longitudinal measures of both the anxiety and avoidance subscales were remarkably stable over a 6-week assessment period (86% shared variance over time). This result supports previously published test re-test reliability estimates based on simulation analyses, and suggests that the scale provides stable estimates of trait attachment which are largely free from measurement error over short assessment periods. The importance of using reliable and precise measures in order to minimize bias in repeated measures of attachment in romantic and interpersonal relationships over prolonged time periods is discussed.

Modifying driver behaviour with passenger feedback

A feedback programme was employed to help drivers improve their safety behaviour based on the idea that particular types of driver error result from contingency traps as defined by Fuller [Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 24 (1991) 73]. Two drivers and their single respective passengers participated. For each driver, repeated in-car observations were made of four unsafe driving behaviours. Two of these were sequentially targeted in the behavioural intervention that involved the passengers providing informational feedback to their driver. Both drivers showed a marked improvement across the targeted behaviours. The study demonstrated the applicability of behaviour analysis to the traffic domain and the efficacy of individual feedback as a behavioural tool for positive behaviour modification.