Experiences in Close Relationship Scale – Short Form (ECR-12)
Measures adult attachment styles along the dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale – Short Form (ECR-12) was developed by Meifen Wei, Daniel W. Russell, Brent Mallinckrodt, & David L. Vogel (2007). It is designed to measure Adult Attachment. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Attachment Anxiety, Attachment Avoidance.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment Anxiety | 2,4,6,8,10,12 | 6 |
| Attachment Avoidance | 1,3,5,7,9,11 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4 = Neutral, 5 = Slightly Agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly Agree.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 6 to 42. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low: 6 – 18
- Moderate: 19 – 30
- High: 31 – 42
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Anxiety: alpha = .77 to .86; Avoidance: alpha = .78 to .88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.