Within-person covariation of agentic and communal perceptions: Implications for interpersonal theory and assessment

Abstract

Interpersonal theory identifies agency and communion as uncorrelated (orthogonal) dimensions, largely evidenced by research examining between-person analyses of single-occasion measures. However, longitudinal studies of interpersonal behavior demonstrated the within-person association of agency and communion is not orthogonal for many individuals, and between-person differences in these associations relate to adjustment. We applied a similar approach to investigate the association of interpersonal perceptions. 184 university students completed a 7-day event-contingent study of their interpersonal experiences. Using multilevel regression models, we demonstrated that agentic and communal perceptions were positively associated, and the strength of this within-person association was moderated by between-person scores of dependency and narcissism. We discuss the benefits of incorporating within-person interpersonal associations (termed interpersonal covariation) into interpersonal theory and assessment.

Behavioral landscapes and earth mover’s distance: A new approach for studying individual differences in density distributions

“…Consistent with other experience sampling studies (e.g., Rappaport, Moskowitz, & D’Antono, 2014; Roche, Pincus, Hyde, Conroy, & Ram, 2013), differences in the extent of angular dispersion and/or dispersion along the agency dimension are features of intraindividual variability that differentiate individuals’ interpersonal behavior and perceptions. Specifically, after locating differences with respect to overall levels of behavior (i.e., MDS 1 and MDS 2 map closely to iMean of agency and iMean of communion), the third coordinate in the multidimensional space also provided meaningful description of the between-person differences in iLandscapes describing individuals’ own others’ interpersonal behavior.…”

Structure and correlates of interpersonal problems and sensitivities

“…Capturing dynamic processes using ecologically valid and temporally sensitive assessments would enable tests of how problems, sensitivities, and other domains of interpersonal functioning interact with one another to produce more or less adaptive outcomes (e.g., Sadikaj, Russell, Moskowitz, & Paris, 2010). This type of research could also be used to assess individual differences in dynamic variables (flux, spin, pulse; Moskowitz & Zuroff, 2004) or within-person covariance (Roche, Pincus, Hyde, Conroy, & Ram, 2013) across different surfaces of interpersonal functioning. Finally, the use of questionnaires in undergraduate convenience samples was among the most significant limitations of these studies.…”

Interpersonal Dynamics in Personality and Personality Disorders

“…In contrast, pathological interactions are characterized by misperception in the form of either misunderstanding between self and other or a lack of insight on the part of self, other, or both. Perceptual distortion involves differences in the perception of self and other or between self and some relatively more objective indicator of reality in interpersonal situations that is associated with distress and/or dysfunction (Carlson, Vazire, & Oltmanns, ; Mihura, Meyer, Dumitrascu, & Bombel, ; Roche, Pincus, Hyde, Conroy, & Ram, ; Srivastava, Guglielmo, & Beer, ; Vazire, ). The borderline individual who tends to perceive attachment situations through the lens of potential abandonment, and thus becomes angry at appropriate gestures of autonomy taking from the other, exemplifies distorted perception.…”