Paul Lerner Memorial Master Lecture

Introduction

• This is the first Paul Lerner Memorial Master Lecture.
• Paul Lerner was a beloved figure in the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA).
• The session is named in honor of his contributions and the generous gift made by the Lerner family.
• Dr. Aaron Pincus from Pennsylvania State University is the speaker.
• Paul Lerner valued generativity, science of personality, and its application in clinical settings.

Dr. Aaron Pincus

• Known for work in interpersonal theory and application in clinical practice.
• Emphasizes integrating personality science and clinical interactions.
• Impactful in personality psychology and clinical practice.

Lecture Overview

• Topic: Contemporary interpersonal assessment.
• Focus on personality dispositions and dynamics.
• Interpersonal context is crucial for personality assessment.

Key Concepts

Interpersonal Paradigm History

• Founders: Harry Stack Sullivan, Tim Leary, Jerry Wiggins, etc.
• Paradigm spans over six decades.

Assumptions of Interpersonal Theory

1. Interpersonal Situations
   • Personality and psychopathology manifest in interactions.
2. Interpersonal and Intrapsychic
   • Interpersonal phenomena include behaviors, perceptions, memories, and fantasies.
3. Agency and Communion
   • Two fundamental constructs form a conceptual map (interpersonal circle).
4. Reciprocal Influence
   • Interpersonal behaviors create reciprocal interactions.

Complementarity

• Warmth invites warmth (correspondence).
• Dominance invites submission (reciprocity).
• Deviations from complementarity may indicate pathology.

Interpersonal Dispositions

• Interpersonal Pathoplasticity
  • Diagnosis combined with interpersonal style enhances therapy.
  • Subtypes found in GAD, social phobia, depression, PTSD.
  • Cold, submissive styles often relate to poorer outcomes.

Personality Dynamics

• Structural Dynamics
  • Uses multiple assessment measures.
  • Case of Mr. S: Interpersonal traits, values, sensitivities, strengths, and problems were assessed.
• Temporal Dynamics
  • Moment-to-moment assessments and daily life interactions.
  • Joystick method for real-time evaluation of therapy sessions.
  • Mobile technology for tracking interpersonal dynamics in daily life.

Future Directions

• Longitudinal studies using smartphone assessments.
• Large datasets to study patterns of change over time.

Conclusion

• Emphasis on how interpersonal assessment is evolving.
• Importance of integrating different interpersonal dynamics in psychological assessment and therapy.