MOVEMENT IN SOCIAL ORIENTATIONS - A COMMENTARY ON KELLEY

After reviewing some classic contributions to the truly social social- psychological literature (Lewin, Horney, Festinger;), this commentary outlines how and why Kelley's analysis extends and complements more tr aditional approaches to interdependence. Three strengths are emphasize d, suggesting that Kelley's analysis (a) offers a much-needed situatio n-based taxonomy for different social orientations and interpersonal p henomena, (b) serves the ecological validity of social orientations, a nd (c) potentially helps us understand why classical dimensions of per son judgment include not only goodness versus badness, but also moveme nt-related orientations such as dominance versus submission, strength versus weakness, or activity versus passivity. Kelley's analysis can b e extended by developing further domain-specific theory and methodolog y for examining the temporal and sequential aspects of social orientat ions, and by applying a means-end analysis to differing social orienta tions identified in Kelley's analysis. Finally, following Chuck McClin tock (1972), it is argued that the field should reserve the concept of social value orientation to define allocational preferences relevant to valuing outcomes far self and others. This basic orientation should meaningfully 'drive' the ways in which we approach interdependent oth ers, solve interdependence problems, and utilize interdependence oppor tunities.