Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale

Abstract

The Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale (ATAS), developed by Thomas et al. (2023), is a specialized psychological instrument designed to evaluate attitudes toward attachment among expectant African American fathers. The scale emerged from research exploring the influence of life stress on prenatal attitudes toward attachment, specifically focusing on the extent to which expectant fathers advocate for behaviors that promote infant attachment security in their future children.

The study also investigated whether shift-and-persist cognitive strategies—a psychological resilience factor characterized by shifting focus toward positivity and maintaining a future orientation—moderated these complex relationships. The items chosen for the scale encapsulate four fundamental constructs of attachment security: emotional security, safety, trust, and independence/exploration. Research findings indicated that the association between positive attitudes toward attachment and both negative life events and depressive symptomatology was significantly moderated by the fathers’ capacity to engage in shift-and-persist strategies. While initial psychometric data regarding internal consistency were reported (α = .70), the authors emphasized that these findings are preliminary, recommending continued refinement and further assessment of the scale’s reliability and validity across diverse populations.

Keywords

Black Fathers, Expectant Fathers, Attachment Attitudes, Prenatal Period, Attachment Security, Shift-and-Persist, Psychological Assessment.

Authors

Thomas, Clare R., Collins, Christopher C., Aytuglu, Alp, Brown, Geoffrey L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale is to quantitatively assess the attitudes held by expectant African American fathers regarding the promotion of attachment security in their infants. This measure specifically evaluates the degree to which these fathers endorse critical caregiving behaviors and beliefs necessary for fostering a secure bond during the perinatal period.

The scale is intended for use in research settings to study how psychological and environmental factors, such as life stress and resilience, influence a father’s prenatal commitment to establishing a secure and emotionally responsive relationship with his child.

Construct

The scale measures the construct of positive parental attitudes toward infant attachment security. This construct is operationalized through four key dimensions that are essential for establishing a secure attachment relationship:

• Emotional Security: The belief that the child should be allowed to express a full range of emotions, including distress (e.g., crying or sadness).

• Safety: The conviction that the child should feel protected and physically secure.

• Trust: The endorsement of behaviors that help the child develop faith and confidence in others.

• Independence/Exploration: The attitude that the child should be encouraged to develop autonomy and explore their environment confidently.

By measuring these four components, the ATAS aims to capture the father’s overall positive orientation and intent toward sensitive and responsive parenting, which are core tenets of attachment theory.

Validity

As of the initial publication in 2023, specific empirical data regarding the validity of the Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale were not yet available. The authors noted that the instrument’s development was preliminary and that subsequent research is necessary to establish comprehensive evidence of its construct, criterion, and concurrent validity.

The developers explicitly recommend that future research efforts focus on refining the scale items and conducting rigorous psychometric studies to ensure the ATAS accurately measures the intended construct of attitudes toward attachment across various samples and contexts.

Reliability

Initial analysis provided preliminary data on the scale’s internal consistency. The reported Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) for the scale was calculated at .70.

This finding suggests an acceptable level of consistency among the scale items in the initial population studied. However, the authors cautioned that this result is preliminary, emphasizing the need for further reliability assessments, including test-retest reliability, to fully establish the measure’s consistency over time and across different samples.

Factor Analysis

No formal data regarding the factor structure or confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale were reported in the initial publication. The scale items are theoretically derived to reflect the four core components of attachment security (emotional security, safety, trust, and independence/exploration), but empirical confirmation of this hypothesized multi-dimensional structure is pending future psychometric studies.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Items are rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (not at all important) to 4 (very important).

Language Available: English

Population Group: Human; Male

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years and older); Young Adulthood (18-29 years); Thirties (30-39 years); Middle Age (40-64 years).

Population Details: Respondents are expectant fathers located in the United States, with the initial sample specifically focused on African American fathers.

Test Methodology: Test Reliability; Internal Consistency.

Keywords

Attachment Behavior, Expectant Fathers, Male Attitudes, Perinatal Period, Family and Parenting Measures, Black People, Psychological Resilience.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Clare R. Thomas: orcid.org/0000-0002-7412-8213; Alp Aytuglu: orcid.org/0000-0002-2226-1928

Affiliation Email addresses: Clare R. Thomas: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Thomas, Clare R.: University of Georgia, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, 375 Dawson Hall, Athens, Georgia, United States, 30601.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: May use for Research/Teaching purposes.

Commercial: No

Fee: No

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

Thomas, C. R., Collins, C. C., Aytuglu, A., & Brown, G. L. (2024). Life stress and unmarried, Black fathers’ attitudes toward attachment: The moderating role of shift-and-persist. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 25(1), 27–32. doi.org/10.1037/men0000446

Items of the Attitudes Toward Attachment Scale

Note: Items are rated on a scale of 1 = not at all important, to 4 = very important.

• My child should know that it is ok to cry or be sad.

• My child should feel safe and secure.

• My child should feel like they can trust people.

• My child should learn to be independent.