MAQ

The Measure of Attachment Qualities (MAQ) is a measure of adult attachment patterns.  It has separate scales to assess secure attachment tendencies and avoidant tendencies, and two scales reflecting aspects of the anxious-ambivalent pattern.

Carver, C. S. (1997). Adult attachment and personality: Converging evidence and a new measure. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 865-883.

Here is how we administer the MAQ here, followed by scoring instructions:

MAQ

Respond to each of the following statements by expressing how much you agree with it (if you do generally agree) or how much you disagree with it (if you generally disagree).  Make all your responses on the answer sheet only.  Do not leave any items blank.  Please be as accurate as you can be throughout, and try especially hard not to let your answer to any one item influence your answer to any other item.  Treat each one as though it is completely unrelated to the others.  There are no right or wrong answers, you are simply to express your own personal feelings and opinions.  Choose from these reponse options:

  • 1 = I DISagree with the statement a lot
  • 2 = I DISagree with the statement a little
  • 3 = I agree with the statement a little
  • 4 = I agree with the statement a lot
  1. When I'm close to someone, it gives me a sense of comfort about life in general.
  2. I often worry that my partner doesn't really love me.
  3. I have trouble getting others to be as close as I want them to be.
  4. I find it easy to be close to others.
  5. I often worry my partner will not want to stay with me.
  6. Others want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being.
  7. It feels relaxing and good to be close to someone.
  8. I am very comfortable being close to others.
  9. I don't worry about others abandoning me.
  10. My desire to merge sometimes scares people away.
  11. I prefer not to be too close to others.
  12. I find others are reluctant to get as close as I would like.
  13. I get uncomfortable when someone wants to be very close.
  14. Being close to someone gives me a source of strength for other activities.

Items 4, 8, and 9 are reverse coded.

  • Security = Items 1, 7, and 14.
  • Avoidance = Items 4, 6, 8, 11, and 13.
  • Ambivalence-worry = Items 2, 5, and 9.
  • Ambivalence-merger = Items 3, 10, and 12.

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