Validation of a Brief Version of the Stalking and Obsessive Relational Intrusions Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance Across Clinical and Community Samples

Abstract

The Stalking and Obsessive Relational Intrusions Questionnaire (SORI-Q) was developed to assess a wide range of perpetrated and experienced stalking and obsessive relational intrusion (ORI) behaviors. A brief 16-item version was later proposed but lacks psychometric validation. The present study aimed to validate this brief form (SORI-Q-BF), focusing on perpetration items, using data from community and clinical samples ( N  = 1,716). Factor structure, reliability, convergent and divergent validity, and measurement invariance across gender and samples were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling supported a three-factor structure (Hyper-intimacy, Confrontation, and Surveillance), splitting the original Domineering Control factor into two distinct dimensions. The scale showed good internal consistency, meaningful associations with related constructs, and measurement invariance across genders and groups. Overall, the SORI-Q-BF appears to be a reliable, valid, and efficient tool for assessing stalking and ORI behaviors in research and clinical settings.