Short Version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Chinese Version

Description

Attachment is a deep, strong, and lasting emotional bond that individuals develop with others during their growth process. Hazan and Shaver expanded the concept of attachment to include adult attachment. Since the concept of adult attachment was proposed, there has been a rapid surge in research related to attachment, particularly in the domestic context. An adult attachment measurement tool with reliable psychometric indicators is essential for the study of adult attachment. The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR) is one of the most classic measurement tools for adult attachment. Based on the theoretical assumption that adult attachment consists of two dimensions: attachment anxiety (依恋焦虑) and attachment avoidance (依恋回避), Wei et al. conducted exploratory factor analysis on the ECR, removing some items and retaining six items under each dimension, resulting in the English short form of ECR (ECR-S). Due to its fewer items and ease of administration, ECR-S has been widely used in international studies related to adult attachment. Zhao Lili and others revised the ECR-S and analyzed the reliability and validity of its Chinese short form (ECR-CS) in the adult population in China. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the data fit well with the two-dimensional model of ECR-CS, with fit results of χ2/df=3.57, CFI=0.95, GFI=0.95, AGFI=0.92, TLI=0.92, NFI=0.93, RMSEA=0.07, SRMR=0.04. In ECR-CS, the Cronbach’s α coefficients for the dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were 0.85 and 0.88, respectively, while the test-retest reliability over a two-week interval was 0.75 and 0.80, respectively. ECR-CS demonstrates good reliability and validity and is suitable for related studies on adult attachment in China.

Authors and Contact Email

Zhao Lili, Hao Zhihong

Purpose

To analyze the reliability and validity of the Chinese short form of the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR-CS) in the adult population.

Test Year

2019

Administration Method and Scoring

Respondents are asked to read the following statements carefully and select the option that most closely reflects their agreement in romantic (marital) relationships, using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (非常不赞同 / Strongly Disagree) to 7 (非常赞同 / Strongly Agree).

Reliability and Validity

The ECR-CS exhibits good reliability and validity with Cronbach’s α coefficients of 0.85 for attachment anxiety and 0.88 for attachment avoidance, alongside test-retest reliability scores of 0.75 and 0.80.

Factors and Subscales

The ECR-CS contains two main dimensions:
– 依恋焦虑 (Attachment Anxiety)
– 依恋回避 (Attachment Avoidance)

Keywords

Attachment, Adult Attachment, ECR, ECR-S, ECR-CS, Psychometric Properties

Items in Chinese

1. 在需要的时候，我向恋人求助，是很有用的；
2. 我需要我的恋人一再地保证他/她是爱我的；
3. 我想与恋人亲近，但我又总是会退缩不前；
4. 我发现恋人并不愿意象我所想的那样跟我亲近；
5. 我会在很多事情上向恋人求助，包括寻求安慰和得到承诺；
6. 我想跟恋人非常亲密的愿望，有时会把恋人吓跑；
7. 我试图避免与恋人变得太亲近；
8. 我并不是常常担心被恋人抛弃；
9. 我经常与恋人讨论我所遇到的问题以及我关心的事情；
10. 我担心恋人不会象我关心他(/她)那样地关心我；
11. 当恋人跟我过分亲密的时候，我会感到内心紧张；

Items in English

1. It helps to turn to my romantic partner in times of need.
2. I need a lot of reassurance that I am loved by my partner.
3. I want to get close to my partner, but I keep pulling back.
4. I find that my partner(s) don’t want to get as close as I would like.
5. I turn to my partner for many things, including comfort and reassurance.
6. My desire to be very close sometimes scares people away.
7. I try to avoid getting too close to my partner.
8. I do not often worry about being abandoned.
9. I usually discuss my problems and concerns with my partner.
10. I worry that romantic partners won’t care about me as much as I care about them.
11. I get frustrated if romantic partners are not available when I need them.

References

赵利利,郝志红.亲密关系经历量表中文简版在成人群体中的信度和效度分析[J].中华行为医学与脑科学杂志, 2019, 28(8):5.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1674-6554.2019.08.016.
Wei M, Russell D W, Mallinckrodt B, et al. Taylor & Francis Online :: The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR)-Short Form: Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure – Journal of Personality Assessment – Volume 88, Issue 2[J]. Journal of Personality Assessment [2024-06-07].