Frustration with Partners

Abstract

The Frustration with Partners subscale is one of seven 10-item measures developed by Brennan, Shaver, and Hazan (1989, 1995) to assess various dimensions of adult attachment in romantic relationships. These scales were derived from a comprehensive oblique factor analysis of 143 initial items, resulting in a set of measures designed to provide continuous scores for specific attachment facets. The Frustration with Partners scale specifically measures feelings of disappointment, lack of appreciation, and perceived inconsideration from romantic partners. All items utilize a 7-point Likert-type scale format, ranging from “disagree strongly” to “agree strongly”. The scale demonstrates strong correlations with insecure attachment styles (Avoidant and Anxious/Ambivalent) and strong negative correlation with Secure attachment.

Keywords

Attachment, Adult Attachment, Relationship Satisfaction, Frustration, Romantic Partners, Insecurity, Psychometrics, Likert Scale, Attachment Dimensions, Relationship Conflict.

Authors

Brennan, Shaver, Hazan

Purpose

The primary purpose of the broader set of 10-item scales, of which Frustration with Partners is a component, was to create psychometrically sound measures capable of capturing the diverse facets of adult attachment theory dimensions. The authors sought to move beyond simple categorical classifications, providing continuous, reliable subscales that could be used in nuanced correlational research concerning romantic relationship dynamics.

Specifically, the Frustration with Partners subscale aims to quantify the degree to which an individual perceives their romantic partners as unreliable, unappreciative, or chronically failing to meet their emotional and relational needs. High scores on this scale are indicative of a negative internal working model of others in close relationships.

Construct

The scale measures a specific negative dimension within the attachment framework, reflecting chronic dissatisfaction and anger arising from perceived deficits in a partner’s responsiveness, caregiving, and understanding. This construct is strongly linked to the broader concept of attachment insecurity.

Individuals scoring highly on Frustration with Partners tend to view their partners as inconsiderate, frequently letting them down, and not taking their concerns seriously. This dimension is a key element in understanding the negative relational expectations held by individuals with both avoidant and anxious attachment styles, differentiating these insecure styles from secure attachment.

Validity

Evidence for the validity of the Frustration with Partners scale was established through its systematic comparison with established attachment style classifications, measured using the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) and the Hazan and Shaver measure. The results demonstrated strong discriminant and convergent validity.

The scale showed significant positive correlations with both the Avoidant and Anxious/Ambivalent attachment styles, indicating that individuals characterized by insecurity (both dismissing-avoidant and preoccupied-anxious) report higher levels of perceived relational frustration. Conversely, the scale showed a strong negative correlation with the Secure attachment style, confirming that securely attached individuals experience significantly less relationship-based frustration and disappointment.

Reliability

The authors ensured adequate internal reliability for the seven derived 10-item sub-scales during their development process. The original large-scale item pool analysis selected factors that demonstrated sufficient item loading and internal consistency to form reliable sub-scales. Although the specific Cronbach’s alpha for the Frustration with Partners scale is not explicitly stated in the source text, its selection confirmed that it met the criteria for adequate internal reliability necessary for psychometric instruments.

Factor Analysis

The initial scale development involved a large-scale oblique factor analysis of 143 individual attachment items. This extensive analysis yielded 34 factors with eigenvalues greater than one. Seven factors, including Frustration with Partners, were ultimately selected based on item saturation and internal reliability to form the final set of 10-item subscales.

A subsequent factor analysis conducted on the final seven sub-scales using principal axis extraction revealed two higher-order factors that accounted for 71.3% of the total variance. These factors were nearly orthogonal, correlating at only r = 0.05. The factors were labeled ‘insecurity,’ which primarily distinguished avoidant from secure participants, and ‘preoccupation with attachment,’ which primarily distinguished anxious/ambivalent from secure participants. The Frustration with Partners scale loaded significantly onto both of these higher-order insecurity dimensions, highlighting its central role in negative attachment experiences.

Furthermore, discriminant function analysis utilizing all seven subscales correctly predicted the self-reported attachment style (Hazan and Shaver measure) of 72.3% of participants. The two resulting discriminant functions effectively separated the secure from the avoidant participants, and subsequently separated the anxious/ambivalent participants, confirming the utility of these dimensions in categorical classification.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychological Scale)

Format: 10 items, utilizing a 7-point Likert-type scale (ranging from “disagree strongly” to “agree strongly”).

Language Available: English (Original research language)

Population Group: Adults involved in romantic relationships

Age Group: Typically adult relationship age (18+)

Population Details: Participants in the original study used for scale development (Brennan, Shaver, & Hazan, 1989/1995).

Test Methodology: Oblique factor analysis used for item selection. Scoring involves summing the 10 items, with specific items indicated by (R) requiring reverse scored calculation.

Keywords

Romantic Relationships, Adult Attachment Questionnaire, Insecurity, Avoidance, Anxiety, Psychometric Testing, Internal Consistency, Relationship Conflict.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: Originally presented 1989; Published in print 1995.

Permissions & Fee: Not specified in the source. As this is a psychometric instrument published in an academic journal, permission from the authors or copyright holder (likely the journal publisher) is typically required for formal use or redistribution.

Reference’s

Brennan, K. A., Shaver, P. R., & Hazan, C. (1989). The Adult Attachment Questionnaire: Initial factor structure and development. Unpublished manuscript, State University of New York at Buffalo.

Brennan, K. A., & Shaver, P. R. (1995). Dimensions of adult attachment, affect regulation, and romantic relationship functioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(3), 267-283. Document Link (1995)

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524.

Items of the Frustration with Partners

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• I haven’t received enough appreciation from romantic partners
• My romantic partner doesn’t take my concerns seriously
• My romantic partners have often let me down
• I sometimes get frustrated and angry because no one loves me the way I’d like to be loved
• My romantic partners have often been inconsiderate
• My romantic partners haven’t usually understood what I needed
• I often get frustrated because my romantic partners don’t understand my needs
• I’ve generally been able to count on romantic partners for comfort and understanding (R)
• My romantic partner makes me doubt myself
• My romantic partners have usually been there when I needed them (R)