Tears for Better, for Worse: Development and Validation of the Crying in Romantic Relationships Questionnaire

Across three studies (N = 849), conducted in Poland and the UK, we developed and validated the Crying in Romantic Relationships Questionnaire (CRRQ), a measure of crying frequency in the presence of one’s romantic partner. In the Preliminary Study, individuals described real-life situations in which people might cry in the presence of their partners. Based on their answers, we created an initial item pool. Study 1 examined the psychometric properties of the pool, revealing that the CRRQ comprises five factors, each focused on a distinct crying context (relationship discomfort, relationship comfort, other-oriented concern, emotion regulation, and manipulation). The results also supported the reliability and validity of the scale. Study 2 provided additional evidence for the 5-dimensional structure of the CRRQ and its good psychometric properties. Overall, our results indicate that the CRRQ can serve as a reliable and valid tool for measuring five distinct types of crying in romantic relationships.