Relationship patterns questionnaire (RPQ):: Psychometric properties and clinical applications

The current version of the Relationship Patterns Questionnaire (RPQ) is presented as a successor to the Interpersonal Relationship Patterns Questionnaire (IRP; Kurth, 1998). Both the items and the scales are theory based and are constructed on the basis of an interpersonal circumplex model found as a result of factorial analyses of the IRP and the core conflictual relationship theme method (Luborsky, 1977). The RPQ assesses the relationship patterns concerning the individual's own behavior as well as the anticipated behavior of an important reference person. The circumplex structure of the questionnaire and the differences between groups are examined using a representative sample (N=2,007); the test-retest reliability is determined using a student sample (N=79). The clinical application and the potential sensitivity of the questionnaire are demonstrated in a single-case study, in which a patient assessed her relationships to important reference persons at both the beginning and the end of inpatient psychotherapy.