Factor Structure, Psychometric Properties, and Validation of the Hungarian Version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised (ECR-R-HU) Questionnaire in a Nationally Representative Community Sample

Abstract

The Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised (ECR-R) is a widely used self-report instrument to assess adult romantic attachment. The present study aimed at examining the factor structure, reliability, construct validity, and temporal stability of the Hungarian version of the ECR-R (ECR-R-HU) in a nationally representative community sample (N = 958). The original avoidance and anxiety dimensions of the ECR-R could only be identified, when reversed-item method factors and residual correlations were included in the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Avoidance and Anxiety subscales of the ECR-R-HU showed high reliabilities and adequate temporal stability over 4 months. The subscales were not significantly associated with respondents’ age, gender, and residence type, while being engaged in a romantic relationship was related to significantly lower scores on both subscales. Correlations with measures of family functioning problems, perceived stress, depressed mood, and well-being were significant and in the expected directions. These results confirm the ECR-R-HU as a reliable and valid assessment tool.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the reviewers and the editor for their helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

Supplementary Material

The Hungarian version of the Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised questionnaire (ECR-R-HU) can be found in the supplemental online material of this article.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Open Scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open Science badges for Open Data through Open Practices Disclosure. The data are openly accessible at https://figshare.com/s/d04ef25a1c48a273b599. To obtain the author's disclosure form, please contact the Editor.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Human Resources Development Operational Program under Grant EFOP-5.2.5-18-2018-00011. Previous translation and validation works of the ECR-R-HU were supported by grants for the Budapest Mother-Baby Study (Hungarian Research Fund, 73551, Gervai), and for the Emotionally Focused Therapy training (EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00009, Koren).