The Adult Attachment Interview and questionnaires for attachment style, temperament, and memories of parental behavior.

Relations between Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) outcomes and data from questionnaires on attachment style, temperament, and memories of parental caregiving behavior were investigated to examine theoretical and methodological specificity of the AAI. The participants were 83 mothers of 1-year-olds. No differences between the three AAI classifications (autonomous, dismissing, or preoccupied) were found. Correlations between scales yielded few significant relations, with the exception of strong relations between some AAI scales for experiences and self-reported memories of parental behavior. The self-report questionnaires for attachment style and memories of parental behavior were therefore found to be not suitable for obtaining information about attachment working models as assessed by the AAI. Furthermore, attachment working models appear independent of temperament.