Experiences in Close Relationship Scale – Short Form (ECR-12)
Measures adult attachment styles along the dimensions of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in romantic relationships.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale – Short Form (ECR-12) was developed by Meifen Wei, Daniel W. Russell, 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: Anxiety, Avoidance.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | 2,4,6,8,10,12 | 6 |
| 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.