Positioning the Light Triad on the interpersonal circumplex
Author
Faculty Advisor
Date
2026
Keywords
Light Triad, interpersonal circumplex, agency, communion
Abstract (summary)
People who score high on the Light Triad (faith in humanity, humanism, and kantianism) are believed to have the ideal traits that make up the “everyday saint.” These traits are often seen in people who get along with others, are friendly, and are submissive. The current study tests this assumption by placing the Light Triad traits on the interpersonal circumplex. The interpersonal circumplex is a model for assessing interpersonal motives, with 2 dimensions: agency and communion. In the current research, we sought to determine the overall placement of faith in humanity, humanism, and kantianism on levels of agency and communion. Using self report assessments (N = 375), we found that faith in humanity and kantianism were positively correlated to communion but uncorrelated to agency (friendly-neutral), and humanism was positively correlated with both communion and agency (friendly-dominant). These findings suggest that although individuals high in Light Triad traits are often assumed to be strongly oriented toward communion (“getting along”), this does not fully capture their profile. There is not a uniformly negative relationship with agency, as some agentic tendencies (“getting ahead”) are still present.
Publication Information
DOI
Notes
Presented on April 23, 2026, at Student Research Day, held at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB.
Item Type
Student Presentation
Language
Rights
All Rights Reserved