Experiences in Close Relationships - Relationship Structures (ECR-RS)

The Experiences in Close Relationships - Relationship Structures or Relationship Sctuctures Questionnaire (ECR-RS) is a 9-item self-report instrument designed to assess relational attachment to close persons. The ECR-RS clearly specifies four attachment persons - mother, father, romantic partner, and best friend. The wording of the items is consistent across the four relational contexts, allowing for meaningful assessment of attachment homogeneity or differentiation across different relational contexts. The questionnaire has two dimensions, attachment anxiety (3 items) and relational avoidance (6 items). The anxiousness dimension corresponds to the extent to which a person tends to exhibit attachment-related concerns, such as the availability and responsiveness of the attachment figure. The dimension of avoidance represents the degree of perceived discomfort in opening up to and relying on others. It can also be used as a 9-item version of the 36-item ECR-R.

Length of completion

The ECR-RS takes approximately 5-7 minutes to complete for all relational persons.

Individualized feedback for the respondent

Upon completion of the questionnaire, the respondent will learn what relational attachments he/she exhibits to the related persons.

Keywords

Relationship Structures, ECR-RS, relational attachment, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance

Scoring and interpretation

Two scores are calculated for each relationship person separately (i.e., mother, father, romantic partner, best friend) - one for attachment avoidance and one for attachment distress. Scores for attachment avoidance can be calculated by averaging items 1 through 6, with items 1, 2, 3, and 4 reversed. Scores for attachment anxiety can be calculated by averaging items 7 to 9.

Response Scale

Respondents answered the extent to which each item matched their feelings on a seven-point scale ranging from “completely disagree” (1) to “completely agree” (7).

References

Fraley, R. C., Heffernan, M. E., Vicary, A. M., & Brumbaugh, C. C. (2011). The experiences in close relationships—Relationship Structures Questionnaire: A method for assessing attachment orientations across relationships. Psychological Assessment, 23(3), 615–625. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022898

Siroňová, A., Cígler, H., Ježek, S., Lacinová, L. (2020). Psychometric Characteristics of the ECR-RS, Structure of the Relationship between Global and Specific Attachment – Cross-Validation of the Results Using the Czech and Original Versions of the ECR-RS. Studia Psychologica, 62(4), 291-313. 0039-3320. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2020.04.806

Cígler, H., Cvrčková, A., Daňsová, P., Hašto, J., Charvát, M., Ježek, S., Kaščáková, N., Lacinová, L., & Seitl, M. (2019). Experiences in Close Relationships: České verze metod pro měření vazby vycházející z dotazníku ECR. E-psychologie, 13(3), 57-74. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347272524_EXPERIENCES_IN_CLOSE_RELATIONSHIPS_CESKE_VERZE_METOD_PRO_MERENI

Cvrčková, A. (2019). Psychometrické charakteristiky metody ECR-RS, struktura globální a specifické vazby – cross-validizace výsledků české a originální (anglické) verze metody ECR-RS [Rigorózní práce, Fakulta sociálních studií Masarykovy univerzity]. https://is.muni.cz/th/br4lz/CvrckovaAneta_rigorozni_prace.pdf

Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) Questionnaire. (2014). Retrieved March 13, 2023, from http://labs.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/measures/relstructures.htm