Objective: The goal of this study is to develop a new assessment tool to measure attachment.
Method: The study consisted of six stages. Initially, in order to develo an itm pool, the current attachment literature and measuring tools were examined. The clarity of the items and the face validity were evaluated with a group of 20 'judges'. The draft scale was given to 307 individuals, using the Brief Symptom Inventory as a criterion measure. Selection of the items was completed with factor analyses, and the resulting 33 item scale was named, "Attachment-Based Mental Representation Scale" (ABMRS). Later, with a sample of 407 individuals, the reliability and validity analyses of this 33item scale were conducted, using different criteria measures namely, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, The Parental Bonding Instrument, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Stress Audit Scale. Then, the test-retest reliability was investigated with a new sample of 60 individuals. With the addition of 7 more items, the Scale was administred to 283 people to investigate the psychometric properties. Lastly, the new 40-item Scale, with the items written in a mixed order, was applied to a different sample of 264 participants, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted.
Results: The scale has a six-dimensional structure, and it has been observed that the reliability coefficients of the dimensions vary between 0.72 and 0.86. These sub-dimensions can be grouped together and evaluated as "Secure Attachment" and "Insecure Attachment".
Conclusion: It can be argued that the ABMRS validly and reliably measures the attachment phenomenon with various dimensions for Turkish culture.
Keywords: Secure/insecure Attachment Mental Representation..