Research · White paper · Draft 2.6 for review

The TPRAT white paper

Reliability and validity of the Townsend Personal and Relational Assessment Tool. © 2024 John Townsend, PhD, Townsend Leadership. Presented by Dr. Karen Bergstrom.

Published 2024 · Study period August 2022 to August 2023 · This page last reviewed 2026-10-18 · Read the interactive version · Download the PDF (15 pages)

Abstract

The TPRAT (Townsend Personal and Relational Assessment Tool) measures four character capacities: Attachment, Separation, Integration and Adulthood. This paper reports a reliability and validity study of the instrument. A confirmatory factor analysis of responses from 1,145 participants, collected online from August 2022 to August 2023, supported the four-capacity structure and reduced the instrument from 64 items to 20, five per capacity. Scale reliabilities ranged from .75 to .80 (Cronbach’s alpha) and .75 to .81 (Raykov’s omega). Each capacity was then compared with established instruments measuring related constructs; the predicted relationships were mostly moderate to strong and in the expected direction.

Key findings

• 1,145 participants were included in all analyses, out of 1,470 who started; inclusion required completing 90% of required items.
• Confirmatory factor analysis reduced the instrument from 64 items to 20, five per capacity. 18 items were removed for complex loadings or highly correlated errors.
• Model fit: RMSEA .070 (90% CI .066 to .074), Comparative Fit Index .88, Tucker-Lewis Index .86.
• Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha .75 to .80 and Raykov’s omega .75 to .81 across the four scales. All scales were highly correlated with each other (r ≥ .44).
• Validation against six established instruments found mostly moderate to strong correlations in the expected direction for every capacity.

The four capacities

The theoretical base draws on neuroscience, object relations theory, cognitive behavioral theory, business and leadership research, and spiritual growth models. The TPRAT was created to measure a person’s proficiency in four domains:

• Attachment (live connected): Bonding and vulnerability in relationships. Creates the ability to receive and use the support, encouragement and feedback of significant others, to fuel life and function at high levels.
• Separation (live freely): Boundaries, self-definition and confronting well. Helps a person experience themselves as distinct from others, with their own voice, and interact with healthy boundaries.
• Integration (live balanced): Managing the positives and negatives of oneself and others. Creates the ability to deal successfully with failure, imperfection and loss.
• Adulthood (live purposefully): Clarity of purpose and a mutual orientation toward others in authority. Enables a person to determine their purpose and mission, and to function well in authority contexts such as work and organizations.

The instrument is intended for businesses, educational organizations, counseling groups and churches, for individuals, couples, groups and teams.

Method

The Townsend Group commissioned the study to streamline the instrument to fewer questions and to confirm its validity. The survey combined the 64 TPRAT items with 113 questions from six validated instruments, each matched to one or more capacities. It was built online with the support of Concordia College and fielded from August 2022 to August 2023. Items are answered on a six-point scale from 1, strongly disagree, to 6, strongly agree.

Participants

More than half of the 1,145 participants were 50 or older, and 85% held at least a bachelor’s degree or a professional or trade certification. 71% were female and 29% male; 70% were married and 77% had children. The sample included executives, small business owners, executive directors, HR professionals, pastors, therapists and educators.

Reliability by scale

Final items and factor loadings

All loadings significant at p < .001.

Attachment

• I have difficulty telling others how much they really mean to me. (λ = .62, reverse coded)
• I find it difficult to be in touch with my deeper emotions. (λ = .67, reverse coded)
• It is difficult for me to ask for help or support from others. (λ = .62, reverse coded)
• I have a tough time talking about my feelings, even with those I am close to. (λ = .84, reverse coded)
• When I am in a small group, I tend to keep my vulnerable feelings to myself. (λ = .63, reverse coded)

Separation

• I can communicate what I want and do not want in my work and relationships. (λ = .67)
• When I disagree with someone, I prefer to remain silent. (λ = −.46)
• I put too much time and energy into people-pleasing. (λ = −.72, reverse coded)
• I have difficulty being clear on my own opinions and values when speaking to others. (λ = −.65)
• I avoid saying “no” so that I will not risk rejection or hurt someone’s feelings. (λ = −.76, reverse coded)

Integration

• I readily forgive others for their mistakes. (λ = .49)
• I know and accept my weaknesses. (λ = .53)
• When I fail, I am able to try again. (λ = .68)
• When I am disappointed by someone, I am still mindful of their good points at the same time. (λ = .61)
• When I fail, I can deal with the disappointment in a healthy way. (λ = .74)

Adulthood

• I am clear on my life’s mission and path. (λ = .71)
• I have struggled with finding my career niche. (λ = −.69, reverse coded)
• I am frustrated I have not sufficiently developed my potential. (λ = −.70, reverse coded)
• I usually confront those in authority in ways that are amicable for all. (λ = .44)
• I am comfortable relating to those in authority. (λ = .54)

Validation correlations

Pearson correlations with published instruments, read against Cohen’s thresholds: small .10, medium .30, large .50.

Attachment

• AAQ Avoidance: r = −.64
• AAQ Anxiety: r = −.24

Scored toward a secure style, Attachment correlated negatively with AAQ Avoidance and AAQ Anxiety, in the expected direction, though the relationship with Anxiety was weak.

Separation

• DSI Emotional Reactivity: r = .45
• DSI Fusion with Others: r = .45
• DSI I-Position: r = .28
• DSI Emotional Cutoff: r = .16

Moderately positive with Emotional Reactivity and Fusion with Others, and weakly positive with I-Position and Emotional Cutoff.

Integration

• AAG Resilient: r = .53
• Hypersensitive Narcissism: r = −.47
• AAG Overwhelmed: r = .33
• MPS Socially Prescribed: r = −.32
• MPS Self Oriented: r = −.22
• MPS Other Oriented: r = −.11
• AAG Controlled: r = .05

A moderate association with the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale and with socially prescribed perfectionism, in the expected direction. Strong with AAG Resilient, moderate with AAG Overwhelmed, very weak with AAG Controlled.

Adulthood

• PERMA Overall Well-Being: r = .65
• PERMA Meaning: r = .64
• Rosenberg Self-Esteem: r = .64
• PERMA Accomplishment: r = .6
• PERMA Positive Emotions: r = .59
• PERMA Relationships: r = .46
• PERMA Negative Emotion: r = −.44
• PERMA Engagement: r = .43
• PERMA Loneliness: r = −.38
• PERMA Health: r = .32

Generally strong. Four of nine PERMA measures were strongly positive, the other five moderate, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem was also strongly positive. Negative Emotion and Loneliness ran in the expected direction.

What the analysis suggests

These results demonstrate validity of the 20-item TPRAT survey instrument. The predicted relationships between the TPRAT scales and the validation scales were mostly strong and in the expected direction. All four scales showed moderate to strong association with the corresponding validated scales in all, or almost all, instances. Cronbach and Raykov reliabilities were high for every scale. The confirmatory factor model fit the data, supporting the four-capacity structure, and the instrument was streamlined from 64 items to 20.

Appendix: the twenty items

How to cite

Townsend, J. (2024). Reliability and validity of the Townsend Personal and Relational Assessment Tool (TPRAT), white paper draft 2.6. Townsend Leadership. Presented by K. Bergstrom at https://drkarenbergstrom.com/research/tprat-white-paper

References

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TPRAT capacities and labels © Townsend Leadership. This draft is presented for review; figures are as reported in the draft. Questions about the study can be sent through the contact form. Back to drkarenbergstrom.com