Abstract
Despite their structural similarity (two intersecting axes of four main and four intermediate positions), Leary’s (Interpersonal diagnosis of personality. New York: Ronald Press, 1957) interpersonal circle and Birtchnell’s (1994) interpersonal octagon differ in many ways. The most important differences concern the definition of their components (the circle concerns avoidance of interpersonal anxiety, whereas the octagon concerns attainment of states of relatedness), their explanation of adaptive/maladaptive behaviour as either quantitative or qualitative (the circle refers to intensity whereas the octagon to competency), the desirability of the relating positions (all are desirable for the octagon but not for the circle), bipolarity (it is a prerequisite for the circle but not for the octagon), and the origins of relating objectives from the inner or outer me for the octagon theory, a distinction that has not been made by the circle theory.
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Birtchnell, J. (2016). Comparing Birtchnell’s Interpersonal Octagon with Leary’s Interpersonal Circle. In: Birtchnell, J., Newberry, M., Kalaitzaki, A. (eds) Relating Theory – Clinical and Forensic Applications. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_2
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