A Clinician-Friendly Version of the Interpersonal Circumplex: Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB)

Abstract

Like the original interpersonal Circumplex (IPC). the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) model was developed in the clinic. Different from and more complicated than the IPC, the SASB model nonetheless is parsimonious. It is consistent with Leary's (1957) original goal of bringing objectivity and clarity to the diagnostic process while acknowledging the complexity and variety of human nature. SASB applications extend from diagnosis into the domains of etiology and treatment. Specific advantages that accrue from the SASB model's more complex structure and assessment techniques include, the ability to: (a) define both hostile and friendly differentiation, (b) specifically link social learning experiences with self-concept, (c) define several predictive principles on an a priori basis and confirm them in a variety of data sets, (d) assess personality at all 5 of Leary's levels, (e) define normality and pathology in qualitative rather than quantitative terms, (f) compare and contrast self-ratings with observer ratings using the same metric. (g) generate reasonable parallel models for affect and cognitive style that can help account for comorbidity between Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) Axes I and II. (h) make contributions to understanding personality as a hypothetical construct (i.e., to make testable predictions about etiology and specific treatment interventions), (i) dissect complex communications into their underlying components, and (j) accurately characterize a given relationship through a relatively brief sample of behavior.