The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ) is a self-report tool to assess adult attachment style in relation to depression.
Basic information |
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Statements: | 22 |
Duration: | 5–10 minutes |
Type: | self-report tool |
Authors: | Antonia Bifulco et al. |
Publishing year: | 2003 |
Seminal paper: | The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003) |
Take the test here:
What it tests
This VASQ gives a measure of vulnerable attachment style, with the main purpose to predict psychopathology—which has long been a concern of attachment theory[1]The making and breaking of affectional bonds: I. Aetiology and psychopathology in the light of attachment theory (Bowlby, 1977)—in the form of major depression.[2]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
The VASQ measures attachment insecurity based on two factors:[3]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
- Insecurity — A range of feelings and attitudes relating to discomfort with—or barriers to—closeness with others, including inability to trust, and hurt or anger at being let down.
- Proximity-seeking — Other-dependence or approach behavior (e.g. missing the company of others when alone, becoming anxious when significant others are away).
It seems that these two factors in some way relate to what the research literature on attachment generally describes as avoidant traits (lack of proximity-seeking) and anxious traits (insecurity), although it seems that the insecurity factor is also associated with avoidance.
Both the total VASQ score and the insecurity score were related to disorder, to poor support, and to the interview assessment of marked insecurity.[4]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
Taking the test
The VASQ consists of 22 statements, giving you 5 choices for each statement:[5]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
- Strongly Disagree
- Disagree
- Unsure
- Agree
- Strongly Agree
The 22 statements relate to 2 factors of attachment insecurity:[6]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
- 12 statements (scale 1: insecurity)
- 10 statements (scale 2: proximity-seeking)
Scoring
- Scoring range: 22–110
- Total VASQ score: 57↑
- Factor 1: insecurity: 30↑
- Factor 2: proximity-seeking: 27↑
- All items are scored 1–5, with higher scores reflecting greater attachment insecurity.
VASQ thresholds
Total VASQ score | Insecurity | Proximity-seeking | |
---|---|---|---|
Scoring range | 22–110 | 12–60 | 10–50 |
High score | 57↑ | 30↑ | 27↑ |
Low score | 56↓ | 29↓ | 26↓ |
Any scores above the threshold values are considered high/significant, while all scores below these values are considered low. But to be more specific, the table below shows what high or low scores on either of the subscales mean.[7]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
VASQ subscales meaning
Factor 1 Insecurity | Factor 2 Proximity-seeking |
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---|---|---|
High score | Blockages to intimacy and closeness or intimacy constraints due to fearfulness (of being hurt or let down) and hostility (feeling people are against you, and anger that others have not done enough for you). | ‘Approach’ behavior; displaying a need for company, and anxiety about separation. |
Low score | Good support across a range of relationships, secure attitudes to attachment. | Greater distance in relating to others. |
Associations
The table below shows the constructs that the VASQ and its subscales are associated with.
VASQ associations
Associated tests/constructs | Total VASQ score associations | Factor 1: Insecurity associations | Factor 2: Proximity-seeking associations |
---|---|---|---|
Attachment Style Interview (ASI) | — | ‘Angry–dismissive’, ‘Fearful’ categories | ‘Enmeshed’ category (and negatively associated with the ‘Dismissive’ category) |
Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) | — | — | ‘Preoccupied’ category |
Miscellaneous | Poor support, depressive disorder | Poor support, depressive disorder | — |
And in the table below, you can find more information on what those associated attachment styles/categories mean.
Attachment style categories
Attachment style | Test | Description | Typical quotation |
---|---|---|---|
Enmeshed | Attachment Style Interview (ASI) | Poor support, high dependency needs, and are unable to function well alone (low Self-Reliance). They desire attention and company of others (high Desire for Company), and are unable to cope with even brief separations (high Fear of Separation).[8]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) | “I’m not good on my own. I can’t bear being on my own. The thought of being alone and single again is petrifying. I can’t make decisions on my own and I need other people around me all the time.”[9]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) |
Fearful | Attachment Style Interview (ASI) | Poor support, and a ‘harm–avoidance’ strategy in relation to others, involving high Mistrust, Constraints on Closeness, and a fear of being let down (high Fear of Rejection).[10]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) | “I’m afraid of being let down. I get anxious about people I’ve known only a short time in case they reject me. It’s hard to get close to others because I don’t feel as good as them. I don’t know how much to trust.”[11]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) |
Angry–dismissive | Attachment Style Interview (ASI) | Poor support, and high in Mistrust and Constraints on Closeness. They are highly Self-Reliant and hostile (high Anger).[12]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) | “I’m very disillusioned about people. I don’t trust them; they are out for themselves. Once someone hurts me, I cut them dead. I can be a loner. I like to think I’ve got control over my life most of the time. I get angry with my husband and feel at times that I hate him. At times I hate everyone.”[13]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) |
Withdrawn | Attachment Style Interview (ASI) | Difficulty getting close to others (high Constraints on Closeness), overly Self-Reliant, but without the fear or anger of other styles.[14]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) | “I don’t trust people with everything. I think real closeness and intimacy are things that I experience with very few people. I don’t actually get close to a lot of the people I know. Privacy is important to me. I feel I want to live alone now and cope by myself.”[15]The Attachment Style Interview (ASI): A Support-Based Adult Assessment Tool for Adoption and Fostering Practice (Bifulco et al., 2008) |
Secure | Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) | Comfortable with intimacy and autonomy. Their model of others and the self are positive.[16] Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) | — |
Preoccupied | Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) | Preoccupied with relationships. Their model of others is positive, while their model of self is negative.[17] Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) | — |
Dismissing–avoidant | Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) | Dismissing of intimacy. Highly self-reliant and independent. Their model of others is negative, while their model of self is positive.[18] Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) | — |
Fearful | Relationships Questionnaire (RQ) | Fearful of intimacy. Socially avoidant. Their model of others and the self are negative.[19] Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) | — |
High & lower scorers
So what did people with different attachments actually score? In the table below, you can see that those with a Fearful or Angry–dismissive attachment were most likely to score high on the insecurity scale, while those with an Enmeshed attachment were more likely to score high on the proximity-seeking scale.
VASQ high & low scorers
VASQ | Fearful | Angry–dismissive | Enmeshed | Secure |
---|---|---|---|---|
Insecurity (High >30) | 74% | 84% | 53% | 23% |
Insecurity (Low <29) | 26% | 16% | 47% | 76% |
Proximity-seeking (High >27) | 51% | 50% | 76% | 49% |
Proximity-seeking (Low <26) | 49% | 50% | 24% | 51% |
Total score (High >57) | 70% | 63% | 65% | 26% |
Total score (Low <56) | 30% | 37% | 35% | 74% |
Noteworthy is that almost half (49%) of people with a secure attachment nevertheless score high on the proximity-seeking scale. This seems to suggest that the insecurity scale is more so associated with negative factors than the proximity-seeking scale.
Validity
How reliable, accurate, valid, and up to date is the test?
The VASQ has been shown to have good reliability and validity in discriminating those with insecure and proximity-seeking styles.[20]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
In the table below, you can see the reliability of the subscales. The correlation for the total score at retest was 0.65.[21]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
VASQ subscales reliability
Subscale | Cronbach’s alpha | Test–retest reliability |
---|---|---|
Insecurity | 0.82 | 0.73 |
Proximity-seeking | 0.67 | 0.65 |
The criterion validity of the VASQ was also examined in relation to major depression. High VASQ insecurity scores and total scores were associated with higher rates of depression in the 12 months before contact, but the proximity-seeking scale was not significantly associated with depression.[22]The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder (Bifulco et al., 2003)
Discussion
Martin Silvertant:
I think the scoring structure is a bit strange. For instance, if I choose ‘Strongly Disagree’, should this not be rated as 0 rather than 1 on an attachment vulnerability test? But more puzzling I find that ‘Unsure’ counts as 3. If I don’t know the answer, this not should automatically count towards ‘some’ attachment vulnerability. So, especially if you are autistic with alexithymia—which is a high likelihood if you suspect you may have an insecure attachment—I would advise you to try to think hard as to whether you agree with the statements or not, rather than selecting ‘Unsure’; because if the answer might be ‘Disagree’, that would likely give a better measure of your attachment vulnerability than going for the supposedly agnostic option.
Having said that, if you neither agree nor disagree with a statement, then do go for the ‘Unsure’ option, even if you are technically sure that you feel neutral about the statement. Just remember that in terms of how this test is scored, there isn’t really a ‘neutral’ option; everything is scored towards vulnerable attachment, only varying in degrees.
My pedantry about the scoring aside, the output of the test does make sense to me; I scored 38 on the insecurity scale and 18 on the proximity-seeking scale, with a total VASQ score of 53. This basically confirms what I had already thought about myself; that I have some attachment insecurities, but in general I am pretty secure, which is confirmed by my sub-threshold total score which is 4 points short of being considered significant. My proximity-seeking score is actually slightly higher than I would have expected, but only scores above 27 are considered significant, so I guess I’m just confused the score isn’t closer to 0. That’s largely due to the scoring issue I mentioned above. I do score above the threshold of 30 on the insecurity subscale, which also makes a lot of sense to me, as I definitely have some insecurities to work through, and shame that comes up in certain interactions with others.
The VASQ
Please read each statement below and choose the answer that best fits your experiences. There are no “right” or “wrong” answers.
Comments
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