A further historicodevelopmental study of the interpersonal circumplex.

Abstract

The interpersonal circumplex is a two-dimensional model of trait descriptive terms. Two fundamental dimensions underly the circle, Affiliation and Dominance. An historicodevelopmental analysis of the circumplex suggests that there should be several aspects of the circumplex which have undergone an historical process of development. Data derived from Wiggins's (1979b) Taxonomy of interpersonal trait descriptive terms is presented suggesting: that the major dimensions of the circumplex emerged before the minor dimensions; that at least one of the positive octants emerged before its negative opposite; that Affiliation emerged before Dominance; that semantically inconsistent octants only emerged after consistent ones; and that prototypical members of an octant emerged before nonprototypical members.