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Current inventories of interpersonal trait dependency are problematic because they are based on theories that fail to recognize the positive aspects of dependency. The main goal of this thesis was to develop a new inventory that takes into account theoretical advances using Robert Bornstein's definitions and identified components of interpersonal dependency. The study was broken into the following three stages: 1. Item and inventory creation, 2. Expert feedback and interrater reliability and 3. Data collection and analysis. Three-hundred fifteen undergraduates completed a questionnaire packet, consisting of a demographics section, a copy of the new inventory, and seven other inventories that measure dysfunction and well-being. Although the original hypotheses in this work were not supported, exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors. These four factors and their relevance to the measurement of interpersonal dependency are discussed and suggestions are made for future studies. / Master of Science

Both interpersonal dependency and the importance of the therapeutic alliance to successful psychotherapy outcomes have been widely studied. However, these two areas of study rarely have been viewed conjointly despite the reportedly large number of clients with dependency who present for treatment. This study elucidated the relationship between interpersonal dependency and the therapeutic alliance. Additional hypotheses explored client-therapist agreement on alliance strength in relation to client interpersonal dependency. Participants were graduate student therapists (N = 26) and their individual psychotherapy clients (N = 40) in a training clinic at a large, southwestern university. Within their first three sessions of psychotherapy, participating clients told nine Thematic Apperception Test stories and completed structured self-report measures of adult attachment, social desirability, and psychological symptoms. Interpersonal dependency was scored from the TAT stories, using the TAT Oral Dependency (TOD) scoring system developed by Masling, Rabie, and Blondheim (1967) and Huprich (2008). Three sessions following initial data collection, participating clients and their therapists completed structured self-report measures of the therapeutic alliance. Analyses revealed that interpersonal dependency was not significantly associated with client and therapist alliance ratings or the congruence between client and therapist alliance ratings. However, specific scoring categories of the TOD were associated with client alliance scores in opposing directions. In contrast to hypotheses, self-reported attachment-related dependency was significantly related to client alliance ratings and to the congruence between therapist and client alliance ratings. Clients with higher levels of self-reported attachment-related dependency rated the alliance less favorably, in agreement with their therapists, than did clients with lower levels of attachment-related dependency. Additional analyses were unsuccessful in replicating findings from previous research on interpersonal dependency. The clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed.

Individuals high in social anxiety report higher interpersonal dependency (e.g., Darcy et al., 2005), lower satisfaction with their sexual communication with their intimate partners (Montesi et al., 2009), less self-disclosure (e.g., Sparrevohn & Rapee, 2009), and less emotional expression (e.g., Spokas et al., 2009) than non-anxious individuals. In comparison to non-anxious individuals, socially anxious individuals also report lower satisfaction with various aspects of their intimate relationships including lower sexual satisfaction (Bodinger et al., 2002), less social and emotional intimacy (Schneier et al., 1994), and lower overall relationship quality (Sparrevohn & Rapee, 2009). The primary aim of the present investigation was to better understand the lack of satisfaction and fulfillment reported by socially anxious individuals in intimate relationships. Data were collected from 135 undergraduate students in committed, heterosexual, monogamous, sexually active partnerships of at least three months duration. Structural equation modeling was used to examine variations of a partially latent structural regression model in which higher social anxiety and higher interpersonal dependency were predictive of higher sexual communication reluctance and, in turn, lower overall relationship satisfaction and higher sexual dissatisfaction. Based on an examination of overall model fit statistics, chi square difference statistics, parameter coefficients, and correlation residuals, two models (one including fear of damaging the relationship and one without this variable) were retained. Both of the retained models, which included direct paths from social anxiety to satisfaction in addition to indirect paths from social anxiety and interpersonal dependency to the outcome satisfaction variables, had excellent fit (Model 1D:X²M=3.48,df=8,p=.90,RMSEA=0.00,CFI=1.00; Model 2D: X²M =15.07,df=14,p=.3, RMSEA=0.02,CFI=0.99). Exploratory hypotheses were examined. Results are discussed in terms of the benefits of open communication between intimate partners about specific areas of the sexual relationship (e.g., sexual fantasies). Future directions of study are proposed. / Psychology

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