Affective Characteristics of Interpersonal Cognition of Representatives of Different Types of Subject-Object Orientations

An emotional connection is always formed between the participants in the process of interpersonal cognition. The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the manifestation of interpersonal cognition affective characteristics of various subject-object orientations types. 280 students of Herzen University and St. Petersburg State University of Railway Transport aged 19 to 35 years took part in the study. The type of subject-object orientations (at the intersection of axes “life creativity” and “life responsibility”) was revealed using the “Questionnaire of subject-object orientations” by E.Yu. Korjova, affective characteristics of interpersonal cognition - using the of repertoire grid technique. As elements of the rank grid, the names of 16 emotions were used. Prior to the ranking procedure, respondents were presented with brief typological portraits of subject-object orientations representatives. The medial (averaged) rankings of elements for each construct were analyzed. This made it possible to identify the characteristics of both the cognizing subject (the subject of cognition) and the and the cognizable object (the object of cognition). As a rule, “creative” types of subject-object orientations were evaluated positively by representatives of all types, “non-creative” - negatively, which is due to differences in the level of reflection and the ability to understand the inner world of another person. The “converter” is most positively evaluated as an active and energetic type, while understanding himself and others. Misunderstanding of oneself by “uncreative” types is associated with misunderstanding of others.