Assessing disorganized attachment by self-report: Psychometric evaluation of the Disorganized Response Scale (DRS).

Abstract

Objective: In the context of the Adult Attachment Interview, an "unresolved/disorganized" attachment status is characterized by lapses in reasoning or discourse when discussing traumatic experiences. A comprehensive body of research indicates that an unresolved/disorganized adult attachment status plays a crucial role in understanding complex mental health problems. The Disorganized Response Scale (DRS) is a novel self-report measure that mirrors the general focus of the Adult Attachment Interview in assessing disorganized verbalizations and cognitions related to attachment experiences. The scale has exhibited promising psychometric properties in a student sample, but evaluations in more diverse populations and in clinical samples are not yet available.

Method: A German translation of the DRS was assessed in a general population sample (N = 1,101) and in a clinical sample of outpatients (N = 176). The psychometric properties and validity of the scale with respect to its associations with other self-report measures of attachment and psychopathology were examined.

Results: Unidimensionality of the scale was overall confirmed with limitations in the clinical sample. The scale exhibited high internal consistency in both samples. There was evidence for incremental validity of the DRS over and above the standard self-report measures of organized attachment, that is, attachment anxiety and avoidance in predicting psychopathology (particularly dissociation).

Conclusions: The DRS allows for measuring disorganized responses related to early attachment experiences through self-report. Although findings overall suggest that the German version of the DRS is a valid measure of disorganized responses, some aspects such as its dimensionality warrant critical discussion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).