The Controlling Partners Inventory (CPI) includes 36 items that ask respondents whether or not communication technology (email, GPS, spyware, etc.) has been used to monitor or control partners in romantic relationships. The instrument included two sub-scales: (1) CPI-Self in which questions were asked with regard to themselves (i.e., "preforming" partner monitoring) and (2) CPI-Partner in which questions were asked regarding their partners' behavior (i.e., "experiencing" partner monitoring).
Geographies Tested: United States of America
Populations Included: Female, Male
Age Range: Adolescents, Adults
Subscale: CPI-Self
1. Checked sentreceived email histories
2. Checked partner's cell call histories
3. Used partner's password to check-up on them
4. Send threatening emails to partner
5. Made threatening cell calls to partner
6. Sent threatening text to partner
7. Sent excessive number of emails to partner
8. Made excessive number cell calls to partner
9. Sent excessive number of texts to partners
10. Checked social network page to monitor partner
11. Checked partner's cell phone bill
12. Made embarrassing, insulting, threatening wall posts
13. Threatened to post inappropriate photos of partners
14. Posted inappropriate photos of partner
15. Used GPS etc. to monitor partner's location
16. Used Web cam to monitor partner's activities
17. Used hidden camera to monitor my partner's activities
18. Use spy ware to monitor my partner's activities
Response options:
Never - 1
Only once - 2
Two times - 3
Three times - 4
Four or more times - 5
Subscale: CPI-Partner
19. Partner has checked my sentreceived email histories
20. Partner has checked my cell call histories
21. Partner checked my cell phone bill
22. Partner used my password to check-up on me
23. Partner has sent threatening emails to me
24. Partner made threatening cell calls to me
25. Partner sent threatening text to me
26. Partner made excessive number of cell calls to me
27. Partner sent excessive # of texts to me
28. Partner has sent excessive number of emails to me
29. Partner checked social network page to monitor me
30. Partner made embarrassing, insulting, threatening wall posts
31. Partner threatened to post inappropriate photos
32. Partner posted inappropriate photos of me
33. Partner used GPS etc. to monitor my location
34. Partner used web cam to monitor my activities
35. Partner used hidden camera to monitor my activities
36. Partner used spy ware to monitor my activities
Response Options:
Never - 1
Only once - 2
Two times - 3
Three times - 4
Four or more times - 5
The range for the CPI (both Self and Partner) is 18–90.
Burke, S. C., Wallen, M., Vail-Smith, K., & Knox, D. (2011). Using technology to control intimate partners: An exploratory study of college undergraduates. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(3), 1162-1167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.12.010
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