Interrelationships of Emotions, Traits, and Diagnostic Constructs

Abstract

Judgments were collected from graduate students and clinicians of the extent to which various diagnostic constructs imply a systematic sample of emotions and traits. Degree of consensus in these judgments was analyzed for students and for clinicians. Intercorrelations of emotions and traits and of diagnostic constructs were factor analyzed for clinicians. Configurations of emotions and traits and of diagnostic constructs were generated by converting factor loadings to polar coordinates. The findings support an hypothesis that circular configurations would be found for trait and emotion signs and for diagnostic constructs and that together these universes form a conceptually differentiated but highly integrated system of interconnected signs. Semantic configurations are interpreted as influencing the development of personality constructs and the organization of interpersonal perception.