Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Short Form (ECR-S)
A 12-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess adult attachment styles along the dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Short Form (ECR-S) was developed by Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Mallinckrodt, B., & Vogel, D. L. (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 Avoidance, Attachment Anxiety.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment Avoidance | 1,3,5,7,9,11 | 6 |
| Attachment Anxiety | 2,4,6,8,10,12 | 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 7 to 42. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low (Secure attachment orientation on this dimension): 7 – 20
- High (Insecure attachment orientation on this dimension): 21 – 42
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Anxiety alpha = .78, Avoidance alpha = .84.
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.