Emotional intelligence in relationships can be developed and enhanced through the use of an assessment instrument within a mentoring or counseling relationship. The Relationship Skills Map (RSM) has been created for this purpose. This study concerns the validation of the Relationship Skills Map. Participants in this study included members of a Methodist church, participants in a couples study by a master's level student, and graduate students from a university in South Texas. All participants were adults who had taken on the responsibilities of employment, marriage, or graduate study. The data obtained for this study was analyzed according to procedures derived from Classical Test Theory. The validity of the RSM was explored by correlating it with the NEO PI-R, the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). The reliability of the RSM was explored by means of an item analysis, equivalent forms analysis, and the calculation of Cronbach's alphas. An exploratory factor analysis was also performed to identify the underlying constructs in the item-level data. Results indicated that the RSM Form A was reliable and valid. The correlations with the CTI suggested that emotional intelligence was an underlying construct. The RSM also correlated significantly with the NEO PI-R and the DAS. The factor analysis resulted in six factors, the strongest being relationship quality and satisfaction. The second factor concerned anger and its control. The third included decision making, drive strength, and time management. The fourth concerned the health aspects of stress management. The fifth and sixth factors were deference and assertion, respectively. Because the sample size ( N = 195) was a limitation in this study, the researcher recommended that the factor analysis be repeated with a larger number of people who would be representative of the population. Some of the weak factors should have more items, and the issues of communication style should be fully explored with the RSM scales of aggression, deference, and assertion correlated with a communication style assessment instrument. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]