Development and Validation of the Australian Preschool Attachment Scales

Objective: We aimed to develop and validate Australian guidelines to support accurate assessment of preschool attachment by researchers and by child clinical psychologists and allied pracitioners. Method: The Australian Preschool Attachment Scales (APAS) were developed through grounded item generation and validated with data from 121 Australian preschool child and parent dyads, for whom we compared codes assigned by certified researchers and na?ve clinical coders. Results: APAS scores from reliable and na?ve coders were highly correlated (r = 0.52 - 0.79). Accuracy of organised attachment classifications using the APAS was high for both reliable and na?ve coders (κ = 0.89), and for identification of disorganised attachment (κ = 0.71). Conclusions: This pilot study supports use of the APAS to facilitate training in observation and interpretation of attachment behaviours by clinicians. Further research to improve the alignment between the APAS and the PACS is discussed.