diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency/join_association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency/join_association.rb
index 221c791bf8..c36386ec7e 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency/join_association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/join_dependency/join_association.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
           tables.first
         end
 
-        protected
+        private
           attr_reader :alias_tracker
       end
     end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader.rb
index 59320431ee..1ea0aeac3a 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader.rb
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
             owners.flat_map { |owner| owner.association(reflection.name).target }
           end
 
-          protected
+          private
             attr_reader :owners, :reflection
         end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader/association.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader/association.rb
index ec6f0df484..ddcad4504c 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader/association.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/associations/preloader/association.rb
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
           end
         end
 
-        protected
+        private
           attr_reader :owners, :reflection, :preload_scope, :model, :klass
 
-        private
           # The name of the key on the associated records
           def association_key_name
             reflection.join_primary_key(klass)
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
index c77790dc9a..842f407517 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/attribute_methods.rb
@@ -432,15 +432,12 @@ module ActiveRecord
       @attributes.accessed
     end
 
-    protected
-
-      def attribute_method?(attr_name) # :nodoc:
+    private
+      def attribute_method?(attr_name)
         # We check defined? because Syck calls respond_to? before actually calling initialize.
         defined?(@attributes) && @attributes.key?(attr_name)
       end
 
-    private
-
       def arel_attributes_with_values_for_create(attribute_names)
         arel_attributes_with_values(attributes_for_create(attribute_names))
       end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/column.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/column.rb
index 469ef3f5a0..3ccc7271ab 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/column.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql/column.rb
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
         end
       end
 
-      protected
+      private
         attr_reader :max_identifier_length
 
-      private
         def sequence_name_from_parts(table_name, column_name, suffix)
           over_length = [table_name, column_name, suffix].map(&:length).sum + 2 - max_identifier_length
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder.rb
index f3286846d2..7a0edcbc33 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder.rb
@@ -57,9 +57,6 @@ module ActiveRecord
     end
 
     protected
-
-      attr_reader :table
-
       def expand_from_hash(attributes)
         return ["1=0"] if attributes.empty?
 
@@ -109,6 +106,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       end
 
     private
+      attr_reader :table
 
       def associated_predicate_builder(association_name)
         self.class.new(table.associated_table(association_name))
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/array_handler.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/array_handler.rb
index 2fd75c8958..64bf83e3c1 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/array_handler.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/array_handler.rb
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         array_predicates.inject(&:or)
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         attr_reader :predicate_builder
 
         module NullPredicate # :nodoc:
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/base_handler.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/base_handler.rb
index 112821135f..10c5c1a66a 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/base_handler.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/base_handler.rb
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         predicate_builder.build(attribute, value.id)
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         attr_reader :predicate_builder
     end
   end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/basic_object_handler.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/basic_object_handler.rb
index 34db266f05..e8c9f60860 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/basic_object_handler.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/basic_object_handler.rb
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         attribute.eq(bind)
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         attr_reader :predicate_builder
     end
   end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/range_handler.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/range_handler.rb
index 6d16579708..8d0d56db3c 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/range_handler.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/predicate_builder/range_handler.rb
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         end
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         attr_reader :predicate_builder
     end
   end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/where_clause_factory.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/where_clause_factory.rb
index 92b720068c..c1b3eea9df 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/where_clause_factory.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/relation/where_clause_factory.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
         WhereClause.new(parts)
       end
 
-      protected
-
+      private
         attr_reader :klass, :predicate_builder
     end
   end
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/statement_cache.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/statement_cache.rb
index 59acd63a0f..b41d3504fd 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/statement_cache.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/statement_cache.rb
@@ -114,8 +114,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       end
     end
 
-    protected
-
+    private
       attr_reader :query_builder, :bind_map, :klass
   end
 end