Social Competence: An Interpersonal Analysis and Reformulation

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Gurtman

Summary: Social competence is an alluring, yet elusive, construct. The purpose of this article is to examine social competence in relation to a model of interpersonal behavior, the interpersonal circumplex. The circumplex can serve as descriptive taxonomy for social competence constructs; it also gives rise to a set of analytic methods useful for validating particular measures and analyzing item characteristics. The value of the approach was demonstrated in studies done on an array of self-report measures. The results suggested that most social competency measures can be reconceptualized as some blend of Dominance, Extraversion, and Friendliness. When linked to interpersonal theory, the circumplex model provides an integrative framework for understanding social competence, and a springboard for generating and testing relevant hypotheses.

Author(s):  
Aaron L. Pincus ◽  
Christopher J. Hopwood

We present a model of personality psychopathology based on the assumptions; descriptive metastructure; and developmental, motivational, and regulatory processes of the contemporary integrative interpersonal theory of personality. The interpersonal model of personality psychopathology distinguishes between the definition of personality pathology and individual differences in the expression of personality disorder. This approach facilitates interdisciplinary conceptualizations of functioning and treatment by emphasizing the interpersonal situation as a prominent unit of analysis, organized by the metaconstructs of agency and communion and the interpersonal circumplex model. Linking personality psychopathology to agentic and communal constructs, pathoplastic relationships with those constructs, patterns of intraindividual variability, and interpersonal signatures allows personality dysfunction to be tied directly to psychological theory with clear propositions for research and treatment planning. The model’s relevance for DSM-5 is highlighted throughout the chapter. We conclude by bringing the interpersonal model from bench to bedside with an articulation of its clinical implications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 898-899
Author(s):  
Lisa Stone ◽  
Daniel Segal

Abstract Introduction The interpersonal circumplex model measures interpersonal dysfunction along two axes (communion and agency), resulting in eight unhealthy patterns: Domineering, Vindictive, Cold, Socially Avoidant, Nonassertive, Exploitable, Overly Nurturant, and Intrusive. It is unclear how the circumplex model applies to older adults and their unique biopsychosocial contexts. This study examined relationships between the circumplex and personality disorder features, using the Alternative Model of Personality Disorder’s (AMPD) personality functioning and pathological personality trait constructs. Method: Older adults (N = 202) completed the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Short Circumplex (IIP-SC), the Levels of Personality Functioning Scale-Self-Report (LPFS-SR), and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) to measure pathological personality traits. Results Correlations were computed between the IIP-SC’s eight circumplex scales with the LPFS-SR’s four personality functioning domains and with the PID-5’s five domains. All circumplex scales significantly (p < .001) and positively correlated with all LPFS-SR and PID-5 domains, with large effect sizes (> .45). Next, regressions were conducted, with the LPFS-SR and PID-5 domains predicting each IIP-SC scale. Across the eight regressions, the AMPD constructs accounted for significant variance in the IIP-SC scales, ranging from 38% (Nonassertive) to 64% (Domineering and Cold). Discussion Significant overlap between the interpersonal circumplex and the AMPD was demonstrated, but patterns are distinct from previous research among younger adults. The circumplex was limited in its relation to the AMPD’s personality functioning, but the pathological personality trait model was well represented through the circumplex. Results indicate that the circumplex may have some validity among older adults and warrants further investigation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16
Author(s):  
Svitlana Kuzikova ◽  
Valeriy Zlivkov ◽  
Svitlana Lukomska

This article is devoted to the concept of integrative interpersonal theory of personality. The origins of the interpersonal theory of personality are found in interpersonal theory of psychiatry. This approach facilitates interdisciplinary conceptualizations of functioning and treatment by emphasizing the interpersonal situation as a prominent unit of analysis, organized by the metaconstructs of agency and communion and the interpersonal circumplex model. The interpersonal circumplex can serve as both companion and guide for those interested in exploring the interpersonal domain of personality. It is outlined the major assumptions and key concepts of the contemporary integrative interpersonal theory of personality. The features and the variety of studies, including several recent studies that extend integrative interpersonal theory are outlined. It is established that applications of the model for exploring both the idiographic (person‐centered) and nomothetic (variable‐centered) realms of personality. The contemporary interpersonal tradition assumes a pathoplastic relationship between interpersonal functioning and many forms of psychopathology. Key concepts of interpersonal theory: Copy process, Catalysts of internalization, Interpersonal motives, Regulatory Metagoals are described. The interpersonal nexus in psychology is a nomological net that provides the architecture to coordinate definition of personality. Given the advances in interpersonal theory and description discussed here, we would argue that agentic and communal personality characteristics should be essential components of an interdisciplinary science of personality psychology. Стаття присвячена аналізу сучасної інтегративної міжособистісної теорії особистості, що базується на міжособистісній теорії психіатрії, згідно з якою міжособистісна ситуація як одиниця аналізу дозволяє реалізувати міждисциплінарний підхід до діагностики, терапії та лікування пато­психологічних станів. При цьому наголошується, що утворений метаконструктами контекст комунікації по суті є моделлю міжособистісного комплексу, який дозволяє вивчати особистість комплексно, в кон­тексті інтегративного підходу, базуючись не лише на принципах патології, а й на принципах гуманізму. Окреслено основні поняття сучасної інтегративної міжособистісної теорії особистості: копінг-процеси, каталізатори інтерналізації, міжособистісні мотиви, регуляторні метацілі. Проаналізовано  численні дослідження (зокрема сучасні), що не лише розкривають основні поняття інтегративної міжособистісної теорії, а й демонструють можливості її використання у практичній психології та психотерапії. Вста­новлено, що застосування інтегративної міжособистісної теорії для вивчення ідеографічних (орієнтованих на людину) та номотетичних (орієнтованих на норми) сфер дозволяють розглядати особистість комп­лексно, у взаємозв’язку її різних властивостей. Сучасна міжособистісна традиція передбачає зумовленість соціального функціонування міжособистісним контекстом, тобто міжособистісний аспект у психології є номологічною мережею, яка забезпечує основу для інтегративного визначення особистості. З урахуванням надбань міжособистісної теорії та досвіду її використання у практичній психології та психотерапії, констатується, що ключові її аспекти можуть вважатися основними компонентами міждисциплінарної психології особистості.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Boudreaux ◽  
Daniel J. Ozer ◽  
Thomas Oltmanns ◽  
Aidan G.C. Wright

The interpersonal circumplex (IPC) is a well-established model of social behavior that spans basic personality and clinical science. Although several measures are available to assess interpersonal functioning (e.g., motives, traits) within an IPC framework, researchers studying interpersonal difficulties have relied primarily on a single measure, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems – Circumplex Scales (IIP-C; Horowitz, Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 2000). Although the IIP-C is a widely used measure, it is currently the only measure specifically designed to assess maladaptive interpersonal behavior using the IPC framework. The purpose of the current study is to describe a new 64-item measure of interpersonal problems, called the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems (CSIP). Interpersonal problems derived from a pool of 400 personality-related problems were assessed in two large university samples. In the scale development sample (N = 1,197), items that best characterized each sector of the IPC were identified, and a set of eight 8-item circumplex scales was developed. Psychometric properties of the resulting measure were then examined in thevalidation sample (N = 757). Results from confirmatory circumplex structural analyses indicated that the CSIP fit well to a quasi-circumplex model. The CSIP converged with the IIP-C and the Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (Wiggins, 1995), and associated in theoretically expected ways with broader assessments of adaptive- and maladaptive-range personality traits and symptoms of psychological distress. The CSIP augments the IIP-C with additional content, thereby helping to extend the underlying constructs, and provides an alternative means for studying the interpersonal consequences of personality and psychopathology.


1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista K. Trobst

Summary: The present article relied upon interpersonal theory ( Sullivan, 1953 ), the interpersonal circumplex model ( Leary, 1957 ), resource exchange theory ( Foa & Foa, 1974 ), and the meta-constructs of agency and communion ( Bakan, 1966 ; Wiggins, 1991 ) in the attempt to explicate a theoretical and measurement model of social support. The Support Actions Scale - Circumplex (SAS-C; Trobst, in press ) provides a circumplex measure of social support whose psychometric characteristics are comparable to the best circumplexes reported in the literature. Empirical findings using this recent measure are summarized and interpreted with respect to an interpersonal theory perspective.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Truls Ryum ◽  
Henrik Børsting Jacobsen ◽  
Petter Christian Borchgrevink ◽  
Nils Inge Landrø ◽  
Tore Charles Stiles

AbstractBackground and aimsPain catastrophizing has consistently been related to a variety of negative outcomes within chronic pain conditions, but competing models exist explaining the role of catastrophizing. According to the fear-avoidance model (FAM), catastrophizing is primarily related to the appraisal of pain (i.e. “intrapersonal”), whereas the communal coping model (CCM) suggests that catastrophizing is a strategy to elicit support (i.e. “interpersonal”). In order to examine the interpersonal nature of catastrophizing, this cross-sectional study examined interpersonal problems as a predictor of pain catastrophizing in a sample of patients (n = 97) with chronic pain.MethodsSelf-report data was taken from patients entering a multidisciplinary, inpatient rehabilitation program. The four quadrants of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems circumplex model (Hostile-Dominant, Hostile-Submissive, Friendly-Submissive, Friendly-Dominant) were used as predictors of pain catastrophizing in a series of separate, hierarchical regression analyses.ResultsAfter controlling for relevant confounding variables such as demographics (gender, age), pain severity, psychiatric symptoms (anxiety/depression, fatigue, insomnia), adverse life experiences and perceived social support, higher levels of Hostile-Dominant interpersonal problems predicted higher levels of pain catastrophizing (p ≤ 0.01, d = 0.56).ConclusionsThe results add support to the notion that pain catastrophizing may serve a communicative functioning, as predicted by the CCM, with cold, dominant and controlling behaviors as a maladaptive interpersonal strategy to elicit support. It may thus be useful to consider the broader interpersonal context of the individual, and not only the patient’s appraisal of pain, when conceptualizing the role of pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic pain.ImplicationsFuture psychosocial research and treatment of chronic pain could be informed by including interpersonal theory as a useful theoretical framework, which may help shed more light on how interpersonal problems relates to pain catastrophizing.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 561-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Korhonen ◽  
Ilona Luoma ◽  
Raili K. Salmelin ◽  
Mika Helminen ◽  
Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino ◽  
...  

Group-based modeling techniques are increasingly used in developmental studies to explore the patterns and co-occurrence of internalizing and externalizing problems. Social competence has been found to reciprocally influence internalizing and externalizing problems, but studies on its associations with different patterns of these problems are scarce. Using data from a Finnish longitudinal normal population sample, trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems were formed using the Child Behavior Checklist completed by the mother at the child’s age of 4- to 5-years-old, 8- to 9-years-old, and 16- to 17-years-old ( N = 261). The results indicate that adolescent’s self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems based on the Youth Self Report were associated with the trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems. Social competence both in early childhood and in adolescence was poorer among children with chronic internalizing problems and among those with adolescent-onset externalizing problems. One-third of the children who had a chronically high level of internalizing problems had an initially high but decreasing level of externalizing problems, while 33% of the adolescents with adolescent-onset externalizing problems had a chronically high level of internalizing problems. School psychologists are encouraged to screen for internalizing problems from children with behavioral, academic or social problems.


1977 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy B. Ehrlich ◽  
Andrew Broughton ◽  
Glen M. Vaught

Lefcourt and Telegdi's concepts of congruence and incongruence between perceptual skills and expectancies were examined with respect to interpersonal behavior. Four groups of subjects were formed using a portable rod-and-frame device and Rotter's locus of control scale. As predicted the two congruent groups used significantly less interpersonal distance with each of four different social stimuli as measured by Duke and Nowicki's comfortable interpersonal distance scale. There was no difference between congruent and incongruent groups on a self-report measure of interpersonal needs.


Author(s):  
William Meezan ◽  
Maura O'Keefe

The authors compare the effectiveness of multifamily group therapy (MFGT) with traditional family therapy with abusive and neglectful caregivers and their children. Positive changes in the family functioning of the MFGT group occurred in areas critical to the reduction of child abuse and neglect, whereas changes in the family functioning of those in traditional family therapy occurred only in the area of parental support. The MFGT group children became significantly more assertive and less submissive according to their self-report and, according to their caregivers, showed significantly fewer overall behavior problems and greater social competence at the end of treatment. Changes in the children in the comparison group were not self-reported and did not occur in the area of social competence. These positive findings argue that agencies should consider adopting this modality in the treatment of this population and that it should be included as a treatment option in family-centered child welfare services.


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