Welcome! This site is intended to be a resource for individuals interested in learning more about the Attachment Script Assessment. Here, we provide information about the development of the Attachment Script Assessment, and how narratives produced in the Attachment Script Assessment are coded. This site also contains the coding system developed by Ashley Groh and KC Haydon to evaluate patterns of insecurity and disorganization in the Attachment Script Assessment, referred to as deactivation, hyperactivation, and anomalous content.
Overview of the Attachment Script Assessment
The Attachment Script Assessment is a measure of adult attachment representations that was developed by Harriet Waters and her colleagues (see Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004; Waters & Waters, 2006). The development of the measure was informed by research in cognitive psychology indicating that repeated experiences are stored in memory as scripts containing information about how events typically unfold (Nelson, 1986; Schank, 1982). Waters and her colleagues extended these ideas to attachment, and proposed that repeated experiences of secure base support in childhood become internalized in the form of secure base scripts.
To evaluate secure base scripts, Waters and colleagues developed the Attachment Script Assessment, a word-prompt procedure in which individuals are provided with sets of words and tasked with developing narratives using the provided sets of words (see Waters & Waters, 2006).
Waters and colleagues developed a rating scale to assess individual differences in secure base script knowledge. This 7-point rating scale evaluates the extent to which attachment-relevant narratives produced within the ASA are organized a secure base script in which attachment partners are engaged in an activity, a problem occurs, there is a signal for help, help is offered by the attachment partner, and the situation returns to normal (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004).
To evaluate secure base scripts, Waters and colleagues developed the Attachment Script Assessment, a word-prompt procedure in which individuals are provided with sets of words and tasked with developing narratives using the provided sets of words (see Waters & Waters, 2006).
Waters and colleagues developed a rating scale to assess individual differences in secure base script knowledge. This 7-point rating scale evaluates the extent to which attachment-relevant narratives produced within the ASA are organized a secure base script in which attachment partners are engaged in an activity, a problem occurs, there is a signal for help, help is offered by the attachment partner, and the situation returns to normal (Waters & Rodrigues-Doolabh, 2004).
Overview of Deactivation, Hyperactivation, and Anomalous
Content Coding System for the ASA
Numerous studies have provided evidence for the convergent, retrodictive, and predictive validity of ASA secure base script knowledge (see Waters & Roisman, 2019. However, the current coding system for the ASA lacks scales that capture individual differences in attachment variation (e.g., patterns of insecurity, indicators of disorganization) beyond secure base script knowledge. To increase the utility of the ASA, Ashley Groh and KC Haydon developed three novel scales for the ASA to capture variation in patterns of insecurity and disorganization referred to as deactivation, hyperactivation, and anomalous content. These scales were designed to conceptually parallel patterns of insecurity and disorganization that manifest across the lifespan.
Deactivation reflects the extent to which narratives are organized around a script in attachment-relevant problems and emotions are minimized, ignored, and/or disregarded. This pattern conceptually converges with avoidant and dismissing attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.
Hyperactivation indexes the presence of a script in which attachment-relevant emotions and problems are exacerbated. This pattern conceptually converges with resistant and preoccupied attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.
Anomalous content indexes the presence of a script in which attachment-relevant problems create fear and/or disorientation. This pattern conceptually converges with disorganized and unresolved attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.
Deactivation reflects the extent to which narratives are organized around a script in attachment-relevant problems and emotions are minimized, ignored, and/or disregarded. This pattern conceptually converges with avoidant and dismissing attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.
Hyperactivation indexes the presence of a script in which attachment-relevant emotions and problems are exacerbated. This pattern conceptually converges with resistant and preoccupied attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.
Anomalous content indexes the presence of a script in which attachment-relevant problems create fear and/or disorientation. This pattern conceptually converges with disorganized and unresolved attachment patterns in infancy and adulthood, respectively.