Doctoral Dissertations
A critique, revision, and normative study of the Leary Interpersonal System of Personality Diagnosis
Date of Award
8-1985
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Psychology
Major Professor
Charles P. Cohen
Committee Members
William Calhoun, Richard Saudargas, F. Stanley Lusby
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine, revise, and critique the Leary Interpersonal System of Personality Diagnosis. Some changes in the scoring system were made in an attempt to improve its validity, reliability, and usefulness. The most significant change involved replacing the summary point method for scoring the data with an approach which made the octant raw scores figural. A normative sample of college students was gathered in order to update the norms from the test battery. The individual tests included in the Leary Battery, the MMPI, ICL, and TAT, were analyzed on the basis of these results. Norms for the revised scoring system were presented. An illustrative case study was included to further demonstrate the current usefulness of the Leary Battery in assessing personality.
The results showed that the Leary Battery remains a valuable assessment tool. Except for some minor problems, the MMPI and ICL appeared to measure what they were purported to measure according to Leary. The results regarding the TAT were less conclusive. The new scoring system was found to be a powerful method for summarizing the Leary test results, especially the use of difference scores with the Indices of Variability.
The identification patterns of the normative sample were examined. Significant gender differences were discovered. Although the public communication style of both sexes was similar, men saw themselves as more independent than women. Women described themselves as more loving and generous, but they also attributed more passivity, deprivation, and passive anger to themselves. The general underlying intentionality of men was to achieve independence and importance in the eyes of another. Females appeared to seek affiliative relationships in which they were needed by the other.
Recommended Citation
Loveland, Jon N., "A critique, revision, and normative study of the Leary Interpersonal System of Personality Diagnosis. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1985.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/12591