Attachment Style Test
A confidential self-assessment built on adult attachment theory and the two dimensions behind the Experiences in Close Relationships measure: attachment anxiety and avoidance. Discover whether you lean secure, anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, or fearful-avoidant, with a plain-language interpretation and a professional PDF report.
Two dimensions, four styles
Adult attachment research maps onto two underlying dimensions: how much you worry about closeness and abandonment, and how much you pull away from intimacy and depend on yourself. Where you fall on those two scales defines your style.
Attachment anxiety
How much you fear rejection or abandonment, crave reassurance, and feel sensitive to a partner's availability. High anxiety is the engine of the anxious-preoccupied and fearful styles.
Attachment avoidance
How much you keep emotional distance, value independence over closeness, and feel uncomfortable relying on others or being relied upon. High avoidance drives the dismissive and fearful styles.
Your overall style
The combination of those two dimensions: secure (low on both), anxious-preoccupied (high anxiety), dismissive-avoidant (high avoidance), or fearful-avoidant (high on both).
| Feature | Typical free quiz | Psychology.com |
|---|---|---|
| Grounded in attachment research | Loosely | Yes, ECR dimensions |
| All four adult styles | Often three | Yes, including fearful-avoidant |
| Measures anxiety and avoidance | Rarely both | Yes, the two core dimensions |
| Balanced, non-leading items | Often leading | Yes, agreement format |
| Clinician-reviewed language | Rarely | Yes, MD reviewed |
| Downloadable PDF report | No | Yes, branded & shareable |
| Confidential (no data sent) | Often tracked | Runs in your browser |
Methodology & sources
This test is built on adult attachment theory, which grew out of Bowlby and Ainsworth's work on infant attachment and was extended to adult romantic relationships by Hazan and Shaver (1987). It is organized around the two dimensions that underlie the widely used Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) measure developed by Brennan, Clark, and Shaver (1998): attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance. Our items are written in the spirit of those scales, reworded for readability while keeping their meaning, and use a standard agreement format. The engine scores four styles, with secure, anxious, and avoidant items mapped to their dimensions and fearful-avoidant items capturing the combination of high anxiety and high avoidance.
This is provided for education and self-reflection, not as a clinical or diagnostic instrument. Attachment style is a pattern, not a fixed identity or a disorder. It can vary from one relationship to another, and it can move toward security over time through self-awareness, supportive relationships, and therapy. Read your result as a description of tendencies, not a verdict on your worth or your future in love.
- Hazan C, Shaver P. Romantic Love Conceptualized as an Attachment Process. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1987;52(3):511–524.
- Brennan KA, Clark CL, Shaver PR. Self-Report Measurement of Adult Romantic Attachment: An Integrative Overview. In: Attachment Theory and Close Relationships. New York: Guilford Press; 1998:46–76.
- Bartholomew K, Horowitz LM. Attachment Styles Among Young Adults: A Test of a Four-Category Model. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991;61(2):226–244.
- Fraley RC, Waller NG, Brennan KA. An Item Response Theory Analysis of Self-Report Measures of Adult Attachment. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000;78(2):350–365.
Attachment Style Test FAQ
What is an attachment style?
An attachment style is the characteristic way you experience closeness, trust, and security in relationships. It develops from early bonds with caregivers and shapes how you connect with partners as an adult. Research describes four broad styles: secure, anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful-avoidant.
What are the four attachment styles?
Secure people are comfortable with closeness and independence. Anxious-preoccupied people crave closeness and fear abandonment. Dismissive-avoidant people value independence and keep emotional distance. Fearful-avoidant people want closeness but also fear it, so they swing between the two. Each reflects different levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance.
Can my attachment style change?
Yes. While styles tend to be fairly stable, they are not fixed for life. Secure, supportive relationships, increased self-awareness, and therapy can all move someone toward what researchers call earned security. Your style can also differ across relationships and life stages.
Is one attachment style better than the others?
Secure attachment is linked with smoother, more satisfying relationships on average, so it is often described as the healthiest pattern. But the other styles are common, understandable adaptations, not flaws or disorders, and people with any style can build strong relationships, especially with awareness and effort.
Is this test a diagnosis?
No. Attachment style is a normal psychological pattern, not a medical or psychiatric condition, so there is nothing here to diagnose. This is an educational tool for self-reflection. If relationship patterns are causing you distress, a licensed therapist can help you work toward greater security.