A Latent Structural Comparison Between the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems (CSIP) and the Inventory of...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Interpersonal problems are central to psychological distress.
• Accurate measurement of interpersonal problems is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
• Existing instruments like the CSIP and IIP-C require comparative validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the German versions of the CSIP and IIP-C in a representative community sample.
• To evaluate the structural alignment and clinical correlates of both instruments using the SPMC-E model.
• To identify unique contributions of each instrument in measuring interpersonal difficulties.

Main Methods:

• Developed and validated a German translation of the CSIP.
• Administered both CSIP and IIP-C to a large, representative German community sample (N=677, N=514).
• Employed the circular stochastic process model extension (SPMC-E) for cross-instrument comparison and analysis of clinical covariates (dysphoria, personality dysfunction).

Main Results:

• Both CSIP and IIP-C showed good fit to a latent quasi-circumplex structure with high reliability (r > .70).
• The CSIP identified more maladaptive dominant behaviors compared to the IIP-C.
• Dysphoria and personality dysfunction were linked to a submissive-cold interpersonal style on the CSIP, but not the IIP-C.

Conclusions:

• The CSIP and IIP-C are reliable and valid measures of interpersonal problems, fitting a circumplex structure.
• Meaningful differences exist in the item content and clinical associations of the two instruments.
• The CSIP and IIP-C can potentially complement each other in comprehensively assessing interpersonal problems and their correlates.