ECR-R

The Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised (ECR-R) is a 36-item self-report measure of adult attachment style developed by R. Chris Fraley, Niels Waller, and Kelly Brennan. It assesses two dimensions: Attachment Anxiety (18 items, fear of rejection/abandonment, need for closeness and reassurance) and Attachment Avoidance (18 items, discomfort with intimacy, preference for emotional distance). Each item is rated 1–7, with mean subscale scores calculated. The ECR-R is used in MDMA-assisted therapy research, where MDMA’s empathogenic effects are hypothesized to temporarily shift attachment patterns, enabling patients to engage with traumatic material in a relational context. Changes in attachment security following MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD have been reported as potential mediators of treatment response. The ECR-R has excellent reliability (anxiety α = 0.93, avoidance α = 0.95) and is one of the most widely used attachment measures in psychology.