The latent structure of the adult attachment interview: Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis

Lee Raby K, Verhage ML, Pasco Fearon RM, Chris Fraley R, Roisman GI, van IJzendoorn MH, Schuengel C, Madigan S, Oosterman M, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Bernier A, Ensink K, Hautamäki A, Mangelsdorf S, Priddis LE, Wong MS, Aviezer O, Behrens KY, Brisch KH, Cassibba R, Cassidy J, Coppola G, Costantini A, Dozier M, Duschinsky R, Ierardi E, Finger B, de Millan SG, Harder S, Hazen NL, Jin MM, Myung S, Jongenelen I, Leerkes EM, Lionetti F, Lyons-Ruth K, McMahon C, Meins E, Pace CS, Pederson DR, Crugnola CR, Sagi-Schwartz A, Schoppe-Sullivan SJ, Speranza AM, Steele H, Tarabulsy GM, Væver MS, Ward MJ, Arnott B, Bailey H, Behringer J, Brice PJ, Castoro G, Costantino E, Cyr C, George C, Gloger-Tippelt G, Howes C, Jacobsen H, Jacobvitz D, Juffer F, Kazui M, Køppe S, Millán S, Murray L, Simonelli A, Solomon J, Steele M, Teti DM, Monique van Londen-Barentsen W (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

DOI: 10.1017/S0954579420000978

Abstract

The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is a widely used measure in developmental science that assesses adults' current states of mind regarding early attachment-related experiences with their primary caregivers. The standard system for coding the AAI recommends classifying individuals categorically as having an autonomous, dismissing, preoccupied, or unresolved attachment state of mind. However, previous factor and taxometric analyses suggest that: (a) adults' attachment states of mind are captured by two weakly correlated factors reflecting adults' dismissing and preoccupied states of mind and (b) individual differences on these factors are continuously rather than categorically distributed. The current study revisited these suggestions about the latent structure of AAI scales by leveraging individual participant data from 40 studies (N = 3,218), with a particular focus on the controversial observation from prior factor analytic work that indicators of preoccupied states of mind and indicators of unresolved states of mind about loss and trauma loaded on a common factor. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that: (a) a 2-factor model with weakly correlated dismissing and preoccupied factors and (b) a 3-factor model that further distinguished unresolved from preoccupied states of mind were both compatible with the data. The preoccupied and unresolved factors in the 3-factor model were highly correlated. Taxometric analyses suggested that individual differences in dismissing, preoccupied, and unresolved states of mind were more consistent with a continuous than a categorical model. The importance of additional tests of predictive validity of the various models is emphasized.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Mills College United States (USA) (US) Universitätsklinikum Ulm Germany (DE) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam Netherlands (NL) Università degli studi "La Sapienza" Italy (IT) University College London (UCL) United Kingdom (GB) Université Laval (UL) Canada (CA) University of North Carolina at Greensboro United States (USA) (US) University of Bari Aldo Moro / Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro Italy (IT) Universidade Lusófona do Porto Portugal (PT) SUNY Polytechnic Institute United States (USA) (US) Klinikum der Universität München Germany (DE) Montana State University Billings United States (USA) (US) University of Calgary Canada (CA) The New School United States (USA) (US) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign United States (USA) (US) Weill Cornell Medicine United States (USA) (US) University of Reading United Kingdom (GB) Leiden University Netherlands (NL) Ibaraki University / 茨城大学 Japan (JP) Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål / Oslo universitetssykehus, Ullevål Norway (NO) Gallaudet University United States (USA) (US) Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Canada (CA) Universiteit Utrecht (UU) / Utrecht University Netherlands (NL) University of Padua / Universita degli Studi di Padova Italy (IT) University of Genova / Università degli Studi di Genova Italy (IT) University of Maryland United States (USA) (US) University of Milano-Bicocca / Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, UNIMIB Italy (IT) Université de Montréal Canada (CA) University of Copenhagen Denmark (DK) Veterans Affairs Healthcare System Boston and Harvard Medical School United States (USA) (US) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) United States (USA) (US) University of Cambridge United Kingdom (GB) Western University Canada (CA) Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) / Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam Netherlands (NL) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) University of Delaware (UDEL) United States (USA) (US) University of Texas at Austin United States (USA) (US) University of Haifa / אוניברסיטת חיפה Israel (IL) University of Guelph (U of G) Canada (CA) Helsingin yliopisto / University of Helsinki Finland (FI) University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) United States (USA) (US) Queen Mary, University of London United Kingdom (GB) Ohio State University United States (USA) (US) University of Minnesota (UMN) United States (USA) (US) University of York United Kingdom (GB) Stevenson University United States (USA) (US) University of Wisconsin - Madison United States (USA) (US) Edith Cowan University Australia (AU) Macquarie University Australia (AU) Newcastle University United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Lee Raby, K., Verhage, M.L., Pasco Fearon, R.M., Chris Fraley, R., Roisman, G.I., van IJzendoorn, M.H.,... Monique van Londen-Barentsen, W. (2020). The latent structure of the adult attachment interview: Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000978

MLA:

Lee Raby, K., et al. "The latent structure of the adult attachment interview: Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis." Development and Psychopathology (2020).

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