A measure of interpersonal dependency

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Interpersonal dependency involves close association needs, drawing from object relations, social learning, and attachment theories.
• Existing self-report measures inadequately assess the multifaceted nature of interpersonal dependency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new self-report inventory for assessing interpersonal dependency in adults.
• To identify core components of interpersonal dependency.

Main Methods:

• A 48-item self-report inventory was created and administered to 220 normal and 180 psychiatric patients.
• The inventory underwent cross-validation on two independent adult samples.

Main Results:

• Three distinct components of interpersonal dependency were identified: emotional reliance, lack of social self-confidence, and assertion of autonomy.
• The study analyzed the relationship of these components in both normal and patient populations.

Conclusions:

• The newly developed inventory provides a valid measure of interpersonal dependency in adults.
• The findings contribute to understanding dependency constructs within attachment and interpersonal relationship frameworks.