A GUlTMAN SCALE FOR THE STRENGTH OF AN INTERPERSONAL

Social psychological theory on interpersonal attachments suggests that the strength of a relationship develops in stages. This paper proposes a measure of the strength of an interpersonal tie that is consistent with this social psychological theory. Three findings are reported from a study of adult (Ego-Alter) dyads in six communities. (1) Ego’s claims of frequent discussion with Alter, seeking help from Alter, and friendship with Alter form a Guttman scale: the claim of friendship implies the claims of help seeking and frequent discussion; the claim of help seeking implies the claim of frequent discussion. (2) Ego’s level of attachment to Alter is related to Alter’s level of attachment to Ego. (3) The likelihood of perceived consensus and acknowledged interpersonal influence in a dyad increases with the strength of the Ego-Alter tie as measured by the total number of claims made by Ego and Alter about their relationship.