Short-term temporal stability and factor structure of the revised experiences in close relationships (ECR-R) measure of adult attachment

The factor structure and short-term temporal stability of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000) were examined. Separate exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the ECR-R provided a reliable and replicable dual factor self-report measure of adult romantic attachment. These results provide important additional information about the ECR-R, and suggest that the scale maintains acceptable classical psychometric properties while also assessing a range of trait scores more evenly distributed than previous measures (as reported by Fraley et al., 2000). Latent variable path analyses suggested that longitudinal measures of both the anxiety and avoidance subscales were remarkably stable over a 6-week assessment period (86% shared variance over time). This result supports previously published test re-test reliability estimates based on simulation analyses, and suggests that the scale provides stable estimates of trait attachment which are largely free from measurement error over short assessment periods. The importance of using reliable and precise measures in order to minimize bias in repeated measures of attachment in romantic and interpersonal relationships over prolonged time periods is discussed.