Development and validation of the adult attachment scale: assessing attachment in elderly adults.

This study describes the development of a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess attachment in older adults: the Lipson-Parra Adult Attachment Scale (LAAS). The three-phase design included a critique of the initial 60-item instrument by a panel of experts, a pilot test with 16 respondents, and a field study with 211 respondents ranging in age from 65 to 99 years. The construct validity of the tool was established via factor analysis. A high alpha coefficient of .97 provided strong evidence for its reliability. Significant correlations were found between attachment scores and items regarding residential proximity, contact frequency, and the closeness of the parental relationships. One-way analysis of variance produced significant differences in means according to marital status, number of living children, and living arrangement. Subsequent testing of the revised 20-item LAAS on a sample of 202 respondents provided further support for the reliability and validity of the LAAS. With the development of a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess attachment in adults, a better understanding of bonds in older individuals will now be possible.