A common 2D framework : using humans’ “relation-tinted glasses” to compare concepts across cultures

Two dimensions have been found in a multitude of interpersonal judgement constructs, often termed in psychology as the Big Two of Agency and Communion. Their ubiquity is hypothesized to be rooted in common evolutionary challenges of social connection and problem solving. Osgood and colleagues’ (1957/1964) first used them to compare word meaning across cultures, consistently finding an Evaluative dimension (Communion), and two less stable dimensions of Potency or Activity (Agency). These dimensions are generally seen as emerging from the construct itself, e.g. personality traits are truly agentic or communal. But explicitly conceptualizing the 2Ds as structuring how humans rate all constructs, as if we are perceiving the world through “relationship-tinted” glasses, may allow for bigger-picture utilizations. I will illustrate how a Common Framework analysis allows for more insightful cross-language comparisons of the lay prototypes of Moral Character and Gratitude, in Chinese and English. A common 2D framework could be the source of, but also conceptually different from, similar-sounding concepts in personality, emotions, and the Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map. I look forward to discussing statistical puzzles (circumplex vs. factors), whether and how to differentiate a common 2D framework from similar-sounding theories, and forms of evidence still needed.