Multilevel Measurement of Interpersonal Behavior: A Manual for the Use of the Interpersonal System of Personality

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MULTILEVEL MEASUREMENT OF

INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR

TIMOTHY LEARY.

PH.D.

; ^J

Multilevel Measurement of Interpersonal

Behavior

Multilevel Measurement

of

Interpersonal Behavior

A MANUAL FOR THE USE OF THE INTERPERSONAL SYSTEM OF PERSONALITY

by

TIMOTHY LEARY,

Ph.D.

Director: Kaiser Foundation Psychology Research

With the collaboration of Helen Lane, Research Administrator

Anne Apfelbaum,

Mary

Projects

Manager

della Cioppa, Projects

Charlotte Kaufmann,

Psychological Consultation Service

Manager

Manager

of Publication

Berkeley, California, 19^6

FIRST EDITION Copyright 1956 by

TIMOTHY LEARY Printed in the United States of America

Clinical versus Research

Use of the

Interpersonal System There are two major applications of the interpersonal system (either individual, group, or familial) and in research.

in clinical diagnosis

The

use of the system differs dramatically depending on whether the goals are clinical or research.

purposes the eight-digit diagnostic code is of minor importance. The diagnostic formulation should be made from a study of the unilevel profiles supported by

For

clinical

inspection of the test protocols.

The

qualitative aspects of the individual are preserved

and combined with the systematic measurements. No eight-digit code can summarize the richness of an individual. The summary points may fall very close to the octant divisions so that a patient diagnosed as masochistic may be bordering on schizoid distrust or bordering on docile dependency.

shadings.

The

single diagnostic digit does not reflect these

Other summary points are misleading because they are resolutions of con-

flicting tendencies.

The

resultant falls near the center of the grid.

pick up these ambivalences.

Do

The

unilevel circles

not formulate the clinical picture from the diagnostic

code alone.

For research purposes the codes become extremely

useful.

When

samples rather

than individuals are being studied the over-simplifications due to measurement artifacts tend to balance out. What is a slightly perceptible tendency in one case (e.g., discrep-

ancy between two moderate scores) becomes a significant difference

up

in the

same

if

many

cases pile

direction.

Clinical diagnosis

demands the greatest

detailed respect paid to the individual case.

Research usually looks for trends and the summary codes are a great advantage.

Timothy Leary

Table of Contents Page

v

Introduction Part

I

The Interpersonal System The

1.

Part

II

1

1

Interpersonal System of Personality

Multilevel Clinical Diagnosis of the Individual Interpersonal Diagnosis of Level I Behavior Interpersonal Diagnosis of Level II and Level

2.

7

8

V

Behavior

11

Interpersonal Diagnosis of Level III Behavior Multilevel Interpersonal Diagnosis the Diagnostic Booklet Diagnostic Report for Illustrative Patient

22 31

Interpersonal Diagnosis of the Group and the Individual in the Group Situation

35

3.

4. 5.

:

6.

Part III

_

of Personality

Overt Interaction

7.

Analysis of

8.

Measurement

9.

A

the Sociometric Booklet

:

of Covert Interpersonal Attitudes in the

Group

Healthy Management Group

51

Group

IV

Interpersonal Analysis of Family Dynamics 11.

V

56

56

Family Diagnosis Illustrative Report for Family Diagnosis

12.

Part

65

Research Applications of the Interpersonal System

68

Research Projects Employing the Inter-

13.

Organization of

personal System Multilevel Research in Personality Structure

68

14.

Research on Change in Personality Research in Group Dynamics and Family Diagnosis Postscript to Future Users of the Interpersonal System

79

15. 16. 17.

71

83 85

APPENDICES

Appendix

I-MMPI

Standard Score Conversion Table

A.

Level

B.

MMPI

C.

Level II

D.

Level

E.

Level III

F.

"Other" Standard Score Conversion Table Table of Weighted Scores Indicating the Kind and the Amount of

Graphic Representation: Male Norms, Female Norms.... Interpersonal Check List Standard Score Conversion

Table

G.

V

Level III

Ideal Standard Score Conversion Table

TAT TAT

Hero Standard Score Conversion Table

I.

Summary

of Interpersonal

Diagnoses

Several Kaiser Foundation Samples Summary of Interpersonal Scores and

at Levels

I,

II

and III

J.

K.

98

Group Dynamics

Indices for

on the L.

The

102 104

Cookbook

The Level

90 92 93 94

for

Several Kaiser Foundation Samples

TAT

86 87

95

Interlevel Difference

H.

35 43 46

Analysis of Interpersonal Dynamics in a Psychotherapy

10."

Part

17

III Diagnosis of Underlying Character Structure

MMPI

Interpersonal Fantasy Test

VU

Based 106 110

Part I

The

Interpersonal System of Personality Chapter 1

THE INTERPERSONAL SYSTEM OF PERSONALITY The Interpersonal System of Personality is a complex combination of methods and measures for assessment of personality. This system is objective, employing are

then

reliable ratings of units of behavior

manipulated

by

standardized

most important use

of interpersonal diagnosis is in the prediction of the future course of treatment. set of sixteen interpersonal variables {i.e., the

A

which

circular

continuum to be described below)

is

used

to categorize behavior at all levels. The use of the same variable system at all levels allows comparison

statistical

methods. The system is interpersonal since it selects for analysis those aspects of personality which concern a subject's relationship to others. The system is a person acts with

and the definition of objective indices and conflict. Different tests and rating procedures are employed to measure the sixteen inter-

describes his actions with others, others, how he fantasies his actions with others, how he

personal variables at different levels of personality. This book describes the exact procedures for the ad-

multilevel in that

it

studies

how

between

how he

idealizes his actions with others. tional

since

it is

aimed

The system

is

levels

of discrepancy

ministration and scoring of these tests and for converting the scores into interpersonal diagnostic cate-

func-

at predicting interpersonal

The

which

behavior in specified, crucial situations, particularly

gories.

in psychotherapy.

Interpersonal Check List, the The Interpersonal Check List

This system

is

used to accomplish the interpersonal

diagnosis of personality. diagnosis

is

to

The purpose of

summarize the

interpersonal

patient's behavior reli-

ably and objectively at all measurable levels of personality. The resulting multilevel diagnostic formulation

used to assess his relationship to the therapist, present and future, his motivation for treatment, the is

flexibility

and adaptability

ity operations, the

is

specifically

designed

MMPI

fit

which are converted into interpersonal categories. theoretical background of this system of personality, the current research findings, and its clinical of

The

"The The use of

application are described in detail in a book,

Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality."^

of conflicts.

The

of Behavior

and Instruments for Measuring

Level and Sublevel

book discusses are the MMPI and the TAT.

TAT

the interpersonal system

TABLE Four Levels

this

the interpersonal system of variables. The and are standard psychological tests, the scores to

of his interpersonal secur-

amount and kind

tests

and

1

Them

of this

manual

will

be

FIGURE

1

INTERPERSONAL CHECK LIST ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS INTO 16 VARIABLE CATEGORIES MANAGER|4/^^ DICTATORIAL

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