Assessing the Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire 1 Carrie M. Brown, Ph.D.; 2 Brien K. Ashdown, Ph.D.; 1 Nastacia Periera, B.A., & Abigail Camden 1 1 Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia; 2 Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York SHORT SUMMARY The purpose of this two-part study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire, or IRAQ (Rohner Research Publications, 2013). The results revealed that the IRAQ is a one-factor measure with strong internal consistency, construct validity, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability. DISCUSSION The findings of this two-part study provide support for the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire, or IRAQ (Rohner Research Publications, 2013). The IRAQ was supported as a one-factor measure with strong reliability and validity, as evidenced via measures of internal consistency, construct validity, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability. Future research will include larger samples and more male participants, and examinations of the psychometric properties of the IRAQ in other cultures. INTRODUCTION Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory) proposes that, across cultures, perceived parental rejection is associated with a specific collection of personality dispositions that represent the acceptance-rejection syndrome. These dispositions include negative self-esteem, insecurity, and cognitive distortions. (Rohner, 1999; 2004) The Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire, or IRAQ (Rohner Research Publications, 2013), was developed so that anxiety in interpersonal relationships could be studied as a potential consequence of perceived parental rejection. The IRAQ has nine items that are rated on a 4-point scale from Almost Never True to Almost Always True. Respondents answer the items to reflect how they feel in the context of interpersonal relationships. The items are: I feel apprehensive. I feel worried. I feel stressed. I feel anxious. I feel fearful for no good reason. I feel tired. I feel like I am going to pass out or faint. I feel nervous. I feel scared. The IRAQ is still in its developing phases; therefore, the purpose of this two-part study was to evaluate its psychometric properties. Racial Privilege Institutional Discrimination METHOD Study 1 In the first study, 151 adults (131 women, 20 men; M age = years) living in the US completed an online survey that consisted of the Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire (Rohner Research Publications, 2013; alpha =.92), the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire: Father (Short Form; alpha =.97) and Mother (Short Form; alpha =.96) (Rohner & Khaleque, 2005), the short-form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Marteau & Bekker, 1992; alpha =.91) to measure state anxiety, and the short-form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Marteau & Bekker, 1992; alpha =.88) modified by the authors to measure trait anxiety. Study 2 In the second study, 78 women (M age = years) living in the US completed the Interpersonal Relationships Anxiety Questionnaire (Rohner Research Publications, 2013) via a paper survey at Time 1 (alpha =.88) and Time 2 (one month later; alpha =.88). PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTY STATISTICRESULTS Internal Consistency Cronbach’s Alpha The 9 items of the IRAQ had a Cronbach’s alpha of.92 in Study 1 and.88 in Study 2. Construct Validity Factor Analysis A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation revealed that the nine items of the IRAQ loaded onto one factor, explaining 60.49% of the variance. The factor loadings ranged from.59 to.87. Convergent Validity Pearson Correlation The IRAQ was positively and significantly correlated with perceived paternal rejection (r =.21, p =.01), perceived maternal rejection (r =.31, p <.001), state anxiety (r =.70, p <.001), and trait anxiety (r =.77, p <.001). STUDY 1 & Test-Retest Reliability Pearson Correlation The IRAQ was positively and significantly correlated between Time 1 and Time 2 (r =.70, p <.01). 2