The latent structure of the adult attachment interview: Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
The latent structure of the adult attachment interview : Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis. / The Collaboration on Attachment Transmission Synthesis.
In: Development and Psychopathology, Vol. 34, No. 1, 02.2022, p. 307-319.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - The latent structure of the adult attachment interview
T2 - Large sample evidence from the collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis
AU - Raby, K. Lee
AU - Verhage, Marije L.
AU - Fearon, R. M.Pasco
AU - Fraley, R. Chris
AU - Roisman, Glenn I.
AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.
AU - Schuengel, Carlo
AU - Madigan, Sheri
AU - Oosterman, Mirjam
AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
AU - Bernier, Annie
AU - Ensink, Karin
AU - Hautamäki, Airi
AU - Mangelsdorf, Sarah
AU - Priddis, Lynn E.
AU - Wong, Maria S.
AU - Aviezer, Ora
AU - Behrens, Kazuko Y.
AU - Brisch, Karl Heinz
AU - Cassibba, Rosalinda
AU - Cassidy, Jude
AU - Coppola, Gabrielle
AU - Costantini, Alessandro
AU - Dozier, Mary
AU - Duschinsky, Robbie
AU - Ierardi, Elena
AU - Finger, Brent
AU - de Millan, Sonia Gojman
AU - Harder, Susanne
AU - Hazen, Nancy L.
AU - Jin, Mi Myoung
AU - Jongenelen, Inês
AU - Leerkes, Esther M.
AU - Lionetti, Francesca
AU - Lyons-Ruth, Karlen
AU - McMahon, Catherine
AU - Meins, Elizabeth
AU - Pace, Cecilia S.
AU - Pederson, David R.
AU - Crugnola, Cristina Riva
AU - Sagi-Schwartz, Avi
AU - Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.
AU - Speranza, Anna Maria
AU - Steele, Howard
AU - Tarabulsy, George M.
AU - Væver, Mette S.
AU - Ward, Mary J.
AU - Arnott, Bronia
AU - Bailey, Heidi
AU - Køppe, Simo
AU - The Collaboration on Attachment Transmission Synthesis
N1 - Publisher Copyright: ©
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Adult Attachment Interview
KW - factor analysis
KW - latent structure
KW - taxometrics
U2 - 10.1017/S0954579420000978
DO - 10.1017/S0954579420000978
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 33070805
AN - SCOPUS:85125212548
VL - 34
SP - 307
EP - 319
JO - Development and Psychopathology
JF - Development and Psychopathology
SN - 0954-5794
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 318202391