ADULT ATTACHMENT QUESTIONNAIRE (AAQ)
Please indicate how you typically feel toward romantic (dating) partners in
general. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. Use the 7-point scale
provided below and darken the appropriate number for each item on the scantron.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
________________________________________
I strongly I strongly
disagree agree
1. I find it relatively easy to get close to others.
2. I'm not very comfortable having to depend on other people.
3. I'm comfortable having others depend on me.
4. I rarely worry about being abandoned by others.
5. I don't like people getting too close to me.
6. I'm somewhat uncomfortable being too close to others.
7. I find it difficult to trust others completely.
8. I'm nervous whenever anyone gets too close to me.
9. Others often want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.
10. Others often are reluctant to get as close as I would like.
11. I often worry that my partner(s) don't really love me.
12. I rarely worry about my partner(s) leaving me.
13. I often want to merge completely with others, and this desire sometimes scares
them
away.
14. I'm confident others would never hurt me by suddenly ending our relationship.
15. I usually want more closeness and intimacy than others do.
16. The thought of being left by others rarely enters my mind.
17. I'm confident that my partner(s) love me just as much as I love them.
Note: Items 1, 3, 4, 12, 14, 16, and 17 must be reversed-keyed prior to constructing each
scale. The Avoidance scale is comprised of items 1-3 and 5-9. Higher scores on this
dimension reflect greater avoidance. The Anxiety scale is comprised of items 4 and 10-
17. Higher scores on this dimension reflect greater anxiety. Greater attachment security
is defined by lower scores on both scales. When referencing the AAQ, please cite the
following paper:
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, S. W., & Phillips, D. (1996). Conflict in close relationships: An
attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 899-914. doi:
10.1037/0022-3514.71.5.899
