Factor analysis of the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Scale (PAIR): Engagement, communication and shared friendships

Abstract

The Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) was developed by Schaefer & Olson (1981) to assess both the actual and ideal levels of intimacy in relationships. Attempts to replicate the original factor structure have not been reported. In Stage 1 of the present study, 157 volunteers (34 males, 123 females; mean age 27.76 years) who were currently in committed relationships completed the PAIR. Factor analysis failed to replicate the original structure but yielded a reliable, independent three-factor solution: engagement, communication and shared friendships. There were no gender differences on these factors. Confirmatory factor analysis failed to confirm this three-factor solution in a group of 145 clients (77 males, 68 females; mean age 35.79 years) presenting to a clinic for the treatment of sexual dysfunction. Principal components analysis yielded a unifactorial solution. These results suggest that people from the general population demonstrate three independent but increasingly involved aspects of intimacy, ranging from engagement to communication to shared friendships. People with sexual dysfunction seem to experience a decrement in all aspects of intimacy. The implications of these findings for the treatment of sexual dysfunction are discussed.