interpersonal theory
the theory of personality developed by Harry Stack Sullivan, which is based on the belief that people’s interactions with other people, especially significant others, determine their sense of security, sense of self, and the dynamisms that motivate their behavior. For Sullivan, personality is the product of a long series of stages in which the individual gradually develops “good feeling” toward others and a sense of a good me toward himself or herself. The individual also learns how to ward off anxiety and correct distorted perceptions of other people, learns to verify his or her ideas through consensual validation, and above all seeks to achieve effective interpersonal relationships on a mature level.