⚠ Educational Use Only — The CAT-PD: Relationship Insecurity is a self-reflection worksheet for academic and research purposes only. It does not provide a formal assessment result, professional evaluation, or any form of recommendation. If you have concerns, please consult a qualified professional.
7 Research Items
1–5 Likert Scale
≥3 Baseline Avg
~2m Est. Time

Relationship Insecurity: Academic Baseline Profiler

The Relationship Insecurity subscale of the CAT-PD-SF battery is a 7-item academic instrument measuring trait-level patterns of abandonment anxiety, fear of rejection, and interpersonal trust deficits in close relationships. Developed by Simms and colleagues (2011)....

For each statement, select the response that best describes your typical patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior. There are no right or wrong answers — accurate, honest responses produce the most academically useful baseline data.

1 of 7 CAT-PD: Relationship Insecurity

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Academic Profile
Average item score (1–5 scale) · CAT-PD: Relationship Insecurity

Profile Interpretation

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Educational Context

Higher scores reflect stronger abandonment anxiety and interpersonal fear. Lower scores indicate more secure and trusting relational orientation as academic personality baseline characteristics.

Academic research uses these scores as baseline data points within structured personality research frameworks. Scores are not evaluative conclusions and should always be interpreted by a qualified researcher or professional in conjunction with a comprehensive assessment battery.

Academic Citation

Simms, L. J., Goldberg, L. R., Roberts, J. E., Watson, D., Welte, J., & Rotterman, J. H. (2011). Computerized adaptive assessment of personality disorder: Introducing the CAT–PD project. Journal of Personality Assessment, 93(4), 380–389. doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2011.577475

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The Academic Science Behind the CAT-PD: Relationship Insecurity

The Relationship Insecurity subscale of the CAT-PD-SF battery is a 7-item academic instrument measuring trait-level patterns of abandonment anxiety, fear of rejection, and interpersonal trust deficits in close relationships. Developed by Simms and colleagues (2011).

Research Framework and Construct Validity

Relationship insecurity in the CAT-PD framework captures a stable tendency to expect rejection and betrayal in close interpersonal bonds. Academic research links this trait to anxious attachment patterns, jealousy, and hypervigilant monitoring of relationship stability.

Comparison: CAT-PD: Relationship Insecurity vs. ECR-R (Experiences in Close Relationships—Revised)
Feature CAT-PD-RI ECR-R (Experiences in Close Relationships—Revised)
Core Construct Relationship Insecurity trait profiling Closely related construct
Number of Items 7 items Varies by version
Primary Use Case Academic personality baseline Research and structured evaluation
Scoring Method 1–5 Likert average Scale-specific method
Framework CAT-PD personality research battery Independent academic instrument

Understanding Your Score Range

Two reverse-keyed items assess relationship security. Item average constitutes the score. Values above 3.0 reflect above-average relationship insecurity. Community α = .84; patient α = .83.

Academic Utility and Research Applications

Researchers pair Relationship Insecurity with Mistrust and Anxiousness in academic studies of interpersonal anxiety and attachment trait dimensions, contributing to research on relationship functioning and social-emotional health.

Educational Results Interpretation

Higher scores reflect stronger abandonment anxiety and interpersonal fear. Lower scores indicate more secure and trusting relational orientation as academic personality baseline characteristics. This engine is provided for academic self-reflection and research purposes only. Results constitute educational data points and not evaluative conclusions. Participants are always encouraged to consult a qualified professional for comprehensive structural review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the CAT-PD Relationship Insecurity scale measure?

The Relationship Insecurity scale maps the trait-level tendency to fear abandonment, expect betrayal, and experience intense anxiety about the stability of close relationships. It is not measuring sensitivity or caring too much — it is capturing a specific pattern of relational fear that research links to attachment experiences and that tends to organise much of how a person moves through intimate relationships.

How is the Relationship Insecurity score calculated?

Seven items are rated 1–5. Two items ('Am secure in my relationships' and 'Generally trust my partners to be faithful to me') are reverse-keyed and scored inversely. The item average is your score. A higher average reflects greater relationship insecurity as a research baseline indicator.

Why does relationship insecurity create the very problems it fears?

This is one of the most important and painful dynamics in attachment research. Relationship insecurity generates behaviours — hypervigilance, reassurance-seeking, jealous monitoring, testing — that are attempts to manage the fear of abandonment. The problem is that these same behaviours tend to push partners away or create conflict, making the feared outcome more rather than less likely. Understanding this cycle compassionately is the beginning of interrupting it.

Can attachment and relationship insecurity patterns actually change?

Yes — and this is one of the most important findings in personality and attachment research. While early attachment patterns are stable without intervention, they are among the most amenable to change through consistent, safe relational experiences — particularly in the context of a good therapeutic relationship. Research on attachment-focused therapy shows meaningful and lasting shifts in how people experience and navigate close relationships.

Does this profile replace a formal professional evaluation?

No. This is an educational self-reflection worksheet. It does not produce formal conclusions or personalised guidance. If relationship insecurity is meaningfully affecting your closest relationships, working with a qualified professional is one of the most impactful investments you can make in your relational life.