The Adult Attachment Interview AAI aims to assess changes in attachment relationships between childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This article explains the AAI assessment process and techniques in depth. According to previous research, However, clinicians are typically more familiar with the other People tend to come to The Attachment Project for a variety of reasons. However, others may come because of low self-esteem or mental health conditions that stem from their past experiences.
Part and parcel of understanding clients is getting to know their attachment style. But what is the AAI? And how can it be applied in clinical practice? In this article, we will answer all of your questions on the Adult Attachment Interview , including:. It probes into several areas of childhood relationships, including:. There are five categories in the classification system:. This aids therapeutic work in more ways than one. But more on that soon. First, what is the process involved in the AAI?
The AAI process typically starts when a person is experiencing relationship difficulties in adulthood. Whatever the reason, they will likely seek help from a trained mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. The AAI is conducted in the introductory assessment session or a little later in the process, often session 2, when trust has begun to build between the clinician and their client.
During the AAI, the clinician asks the client 20 questions, recording observational notes as they go. The clinician then uses the AAI classification scoring system to identify which attachment classification their client falls into. High ratings on the Coherence of Transcript scale would lead to a Secure classification. Meanwhile, high ratings on the Idealization of Parent and Insistence on Lack of Recall scales would suggest a Dismissing attachment style.
Someone scoring high on the Involving or Occupying Anger and Passivity or Vagueness of Discourse scales would be classified as Preoccupied.
