"Attachment styles"
One of the most complete lineages in psychology - the construct is real, measurable and predictive. The quiz version's two planks, four fixed types stamped in infancy, are what exceed the evidence.
We have not finished checking this source. No judgement either way. how we score evidence
Caveat on this rating: The construct grades strong; what fails is the pop typology, and against the same literature. Taxometric and modern replication work (Fraley & Waller 1998; Fraley, Hudson, Heffernan & Segal 2015) supports dimensions over types, and Pinquart, Feussner & Ahnert 2013 finds infancy-to-adult continuity weak to moderate - both planks of the quiz version, not the construct. One negative is labeled rather than asserted: no peer-reviewed critique of the book Attached was located as of 2026-08-26.
Attachment is real, measurable, and predicts relationship satisfaction. What fails is the quiz version - four fixed types, stamped in infancy.
Significant findings
The lineage here is among the most complete in psychology, from Bowlby and Ainsworth to instruments still validated today. Insecure attachment predicts lower relationship satisfaction across many studies. The construct earns its keep.
Two planks of the pop version fail against that same literature.
"Four types" goes first. Statistical work finds attachment is dimensional - degrees of anxiety and avoidance, not boxes. In the researchers' own words, it is "best measured and conceptualized in terms of dimensions, not as a categorical variable".
"Stamped in infancy" goes second. Meta-analysis finds continuity from infancy to adulthood is weak to moderate. Early experience matters, but it is not destiny, and adult attachment measurably moves.
Worth asking
Stop asking which type you are. Ask where you sit on attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, and what moves those two dimensions.
If the pattern is hurting your relationships, ask which therapies target it directly. That question has real answers, which is what a strong construct buys you. The full graded lexicon is at www.resolv.social/topics/the-mental-health-lexicon.
Source
Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process — Hazan C, Shaver P (1987)
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
How this was scored
- Study design
- not recorded
- Funding
- not recorded
- Published in
- not recorded
- Sample size
- not recorded
- Preregistered
- not recorded
- Conflicts disclosed
- not recorded
- Independent of proponent
- not recorded
- Retracted
- No
We have not finished checking this source, so there is no scoring to show yet. “We have not checked this yet” and “this is disputed” are different statements, so no scored band is shown rather than a low one.
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 31, 2026.
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "not yet assessed". We have not finished checking this source. No judgement either way. One caveat travels with that badge: The construct grades strong; what fails is the pop typology, and against the same literature. Taxometric and modern replication work (Fraley & Waller 1998; Fraley, Hudson, Heffernan & Segal 2015) supports dimensions over types, and Pinquart, Feussner & Ahnert 2013 finds infancy-to-adult continuity weak to moderate - both planks of the quiz version, not the construct. One negative is labeled rather than asserted: no peer-reviewed critique of the book Attached was located as of 2026-08-26. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process — Hazan C, Shaver P (1987). DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.