Attachment Style Test
Rate how well each statement describes you in close relationships: romantic partners in general, not only your current one. There are no right answers.
Your answers are not stored. This test is for self-reflection and is not a diagnosis.
What this attachment style test measures
Adult attachment is usually measured on two dimensions. Attachment anxiety is how much you worry about rejection and about whether a partner really cares. Attachment avoidance is how uncomfortable you are with closeness and with depending on others. Your scores on the two dimensions place you in one of four styles.
The four attachment styles
- Secure : You tend to trust that people who love you will stay, and you are comfortable both depending on others and being depended on.
- Anxious (preoccupied) : You value closeness and are willing to depend on others, but you often worry about whether you are loved as much as you love. Delays, mixed signals or a partner's low mood can feel like evidence that something is wrong.
- Dismissive-avoidant : You are rarely worried about rejection, but closeness can feel like pressure. You value self-reliance and often prefer to handle feelings and problems on your own.
- Fearful-avoidant : You want closeness and fear losing it, but you also find closeness hard to trust. Relationships can swing between pursuing a partner and pulling away from them.
Can your attachment style change?
Yes. Attachment styles are fairly stable, but they shift with experience: a consistent, responsive relationship, therapy and simply understanding your patterns can all move people toward security. Many people also show a different style with different partners.
How the test is scored
The 20 statements are rated on a 7-point scale; ten measure anxiety and ten measure avoidance, with some reverse-worded. Each dimension is the average of its statements. Scores above 4 (the midpoint) count as high. The model follows the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaires (Brennan, Clark & Shaver, 1998; Fraley, Waller & Brennan, 2000) and Bartholomew's four-category model; the statements themselves are our own wording.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 4 attachment styles?
Secure (low anxiety, low avoidance), anxious or preoccupied (high anxiety, low avoidance), dismissive-avoidant (low anxiety, high avoidance) and fearful-avoidant (high anxiety, high avoidance).
What is the rarest attachment style?
In most studies fearful-avoidant is the least common style in the general population, while secure is the most common, at roughly half of adults.
Is this attachment style quiz accurate?
It uses the same two-dimension model as research questionnaires, so it gives a useful picture of your tendencies. It is not a clinical assessment, and your answers will depend on your current relationships and mood.
What is disorganized attachment?
Disorganized attachment is the term used for children; in adults the closest equivalent is the fearful-avoidant style, which combines a wish for closeness with a fear of it.