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Development and validation of the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems.

ABSTRACT: The interpersonal circumplex (IPC) is a well-established model of social behavior that spans basic personality and clinical science. Although several measures are available to assess interpersonal functioning (e.g., motives, traits) within an IPC framework, researchers studying interpersonal difficulties have relied primarily on a single measure, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex Scales (IIP-C; Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 2000). Although the IIP-C is a widely used measure, it is currently the only measure specifically designed to assess maladaptive interpersonal behavior using the IPC framework. The purpose of the current study is to describe a new 64-item measure of interpersonal problems, called the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems (CSIP). Interpersonal problems derived from a pool of 400 personality-related problems were assessed in two large university samples. In the scale development sample (N = 1,197), items that best characterized each sector of the IPC were identified, and a set of eight 8-item circumplex scales was developed. Psychometric properties of the resulting measure were then examined in the validation sample (N = 757). Results from confirmatory circumplex structural analyses indicated that the CSIP fit well to a quasi-circumplex model. The CSIP converged with the IIP-C and the Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (Wiggins, 1995), and associated in theoretically expected ways with broader assessments of adaptive- and maladaptive-range personality traits and symptoms of psychological distress. The CSIP augments the IIP-C with additional content, thereby helping to extend the underlying constructs, and provides an alternative means for studying the interpersonal consequences of personality and psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record

SUBMITTER: Boudreaux MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6042649 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Development and validation of the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems.

Boudreaux Michael J MJ Ozer Daniel J DJ Oltmanns Thomas F TF Wright Aidan G C AGC

Psychological assessment 20170619 5

The interpersonal circumplex (IPC) is a well-established model of social behavior that spans basic personality and clinical science. Although several measures are available to assess interpersonal functioning (e.g., motives, traits) within an IPC framework, researchers studying interpersonal difficulties have relied primarily on a single measure, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex Scales (IIP-C; Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 2000). Although the IIP-C is a widely used measur ...[more]

PMID: 28627918

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Project description:BackgroundAlexithymia refers to a multidimensional personality trait with the facets difficulties identifying feelings (DIF), difficulties describing feelings (DDF), and externally orientated thinking (EOT). Alexithymia is a risk factor for mental and somatic disorders. Previous research with patients suffering from various disorders showed positive relationships between alexithymia and interpersonal problems. Only one study analyzed the link between alexithymic features and interpersonal difficulties in healthy individuals but yielded inconclusive findings because participants' negative affects were not controlled. A widely accepted conceptualization of interpersonal problems relies on the interpersonal circumplex, which is defined by two orthogonal dimensions, agency and communion. In the present study, we analyzed which facets of alexithymia are associated with the two interpersonal problem dimensions and the global severity of interpersonal distress, after adjusting for negative affect.MethodsTwo-hundred healthy young individuals (100 women) participated in the study. Alexithymic features were assessed using the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Interpersonal problems were measured with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-D). Participants' state and trait anxiety, depressive symptoms, and verbal intelligence were also assessed.ResultsAll alexithymia scales were positively correlated with general interpersonal distress. Regression results suggested that the TAS-20 subscale DIF was the primary predictor of general interpersonal distress after controlling for negative affectivity. The scale DDF correlated negatively with the IIP-D dimension agency. According to our regression analysis, DDF was a predictor of (low) agency controlling for negative affects. Moreover, DDF correlated negatively with the IIP-D dimension communion. Our regression results indicate that DDF was a predictor of (low) communion independent of negative affect. Correlations between alexithymia facets and IIP-D subscales did not differ between genders.ConclusionsDifficulties identifying feelings seem to be linked to a high level of general interpersonal distress. Difficulties in recognizing one's feelings may disrupt emotion regulation, which could heighten the general risk of interpersonal problems. Difficulties describing feelings could be a central factor contributing to interpersonal problems related to low communion as well as low agency, since emotion expression and communication are crucial in establishing experiences of social closeness and directing other people's behavior.

Project description:BackgroundResearch on parent-level factors linked to adolescent attachment security would inform interventions to prevent or reduce youth psychopathology and other negative outcomes. The current study examined one relevant parent-level variable: maternal interpersonal problems. Interpersonal problems, a key characteristic of personality pathology, are well described by the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and have been shown to be associated with maladaptive adult attachment in close/romantic relationships; however, studies have not examined relationships with offspring attachment. Therefore, the first aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between maternal interpersonal problems and adolescent attachment insecurity. Based on previous evidence that parents' recalled bonding with caregivers is associated with the quality of bonding and attachment with offspring, the second aim was to examine whether mothers' recalled bonding with their own mothers partially explained this relationship.MethodsParticipants included 351 psychiatric inpatient adolescents (Mage = 15.26, 64.1% female) and their biological mothers. Logistic regressions tested whether maternal interpersonal problems were associated with Child Attachment Interview classifications (secure vs. insecure; secure vs. preoccupied vs. dismissing; not disorganized vs. disorganized). A mediation model (N = 210) tested whether the relationship between maternal interpersonal problems and adolescent attachment was mediated by the mother's recalled maternal bonding.ResultsMaternal interpersonal problems were associated with insecure (vs. secure), dismissing (vs. secure), and preoccupied (vs. secure) attachment. There was no significant relationship between maternal interpersonal problems and disorganized attachment. Mediation analyses showed that maternal interpersonal problems were indirectly related to adolescent attachment security via the mother's recalled maternal care, though only a small amount of variance (7%) in adolescent offspring attachment was accounted for by the model.ConclusionsResults provide the first evidence that maternal interpersonal problems are associated with higher likelihood of insecure attachment in adolescents. Therefore, researchers could consider drawing upon the IPC literature to further examine mechanisms of intergenerational risk and to tailor interventions aimed to improve parent-child relations and attachment. Additionally, findings highlight the mediating role of the mothers' recalled experiences with caregivers in the transmission of risk, suggesting attachment-based or mentalization-based interventions may be helpful for mothers with interpersonal problems and personality pathology.

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Development and validation of the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems.

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Development and validation of the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems.

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