Attachment styles in relationships

Attachment style is one of the best-researched explanations for why couples repeat the same arguments. Start here to find yours.

Take the 2-minute attachment quiz

Melancholic: under stress at home, a partner withdraws to a desk with a notebook while the other knocks gently at the door with a cup of tea

What does the research say about attachment styles?

Adult attachment research began when Hazan and Shaver (1987) applied Bowlby and Ainsworth's work on infants to romantic love. Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) added the four-category model used here: secure, anxious, avoidant and fearful-avoidant.

Decades of studies link a more secure style to more satisfying relationships, and styles can shift with experience and a responsive partner. Most researchers now measure attachment on two scales, anxiety and avoidance, rather than as fixed boxes, which is why our quiz scores both.

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511-524.
Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61(2), 226-244.

Attachment styles