Relationship between attachment and personality disorder symptoms of Chinese college students

Links between attachment in childhood and the appearance of personality disorders later in life have been traced in recent years. In this study we explored the relationship between attachment quality and personality disorder symptoms of 1,611 college students in mainland China. The results indicated that there were significant positive correlations between scores gained on the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+; Hyler, 1994) and factor scores gained on the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ3.1; Hazen & Shaver, 1987). Significant positive correlations were also found between scores gained on the PDQ-4+ and attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety on the Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory (ECR; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). These results suggest that attachment and personality are significantly related to each other.