Reliability and validity of the Interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale in a Chinese population

Interpersonal relationships are of great significance to individuals, as positive relationships contribute to enhanced life satisfaction and mental health. To develop an effective scale for assessing interpersonal relationships, the Interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale was developed, and its reliability and validity were examined in a Chinese population. The initial items for the scale were formed through a literature search, clinical investigation, and expert interviews. A total of 461 valid responses were collected through the Questionnaire Star platform for exploratory factor analysis, leading to the extraction and naming of common factors. In addition, an offline questionnaire survey was conducted at a secondary vocational school in Nanjing, yielding 882 valid responses. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using Mplus 8.0 to assess the model fit. The comprehensive evaluation of the scale confirmed its reliability and validity. The Interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale was ultimately divided into four dimensions. Validated factor analyses indicated a well-fitted model (χ²/df = 7.59, Comparative Fit Index = 0.860, Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.838, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.086). The scale demonstrated good internal consistency reliability, with an alpha coefficient of 0.903 and dimension-specific coefficients ranging from 0.674 to 0.909. Test–retest reliability for the total scale was 0.401, and for the dimensions, it ranged from 0.269 to 0.381 (P < 0.01). The scale also exhibited strong construct validity, criterion-related validity, and discriminant validity (P < 0.01). Overall, the Interpersonal Relationship Rating Scale is a reliable and valid tool for assessing interpersonal relationships in the Chinese population.