What's My Attachment Style?
9 questions. ~2 minutes. Based on the ECR-RS framework.
Free. No account required. Find out if you're Secure, Anxious, Avoidant, or Fearful.
What is attachment style?
Attachment theory describes how early relationships with caregivers shape the way you connect with others as an adult. Your attachment style influences how you respond to emotional closeness, how you handle conflict, and what you need to feel safe in relationships.
Research using self-report measures finds that approximately 55-60% of adults are securely attached (Mickelson, Kessler, & Shaver, 1997). The remaining 40% fall into insecure categories: anxious (preoccupied), avoidant (dismissing), or fearful (disorganized).
Attachment patterns can change. A meta-analysis by van IJzendoorn (1995) documented intergenerational transmission, but subsequent research shows that new relationship experiences and therapy can shift attachment toward greater security.
Common questions
What percentage of people are securely attached?
Research using self-report measures generally finds that approximately 55-60% of adults show secure attachment patterns. In the largest nationally representative U.S. sample (Mickelson, Kessler, & Shaver, 1997), about 59% were classified as secure, 25% as avoidant, and 11% as anxious. Proportions vary across studies depending on the measurement instrument and sample characteristics.
Can attachment style change?
Yes. Attachment style is not fixed for life. Research shows that attachment patterns can shift through new relationship experiences, therapy (particularly attachment-focused therapies like EFT), and intentional self-awareness. The shift tends to be gradual, and having a securely attached partner is one of the strongest predictors of movement toward security.
How does attachment style affect relationships?
Attachment style shapes how you respond to emotional closeness, conflict, and perceived threats in relationships. Securely attached individuals tend to communicate needs directly and tolerate disagreement. Anxiously attached people may seek excessive reassurance. Avoidantly attached people may withdraw under stress. Understanding your pattern is the first step toward more intentional relating.