ABSTRACT
The basic unit of analysis for the study of interpersonal relations is the sentiment. The moral code calling for the establishment of appropriate sentiments in each cultural setting differs from group to group, but the violation of such codes occurs everywhere. Sentiments rest upon one's ability to take the role of a specific person, to identify with him, and to define situations from his unique standpoint. The systematic study of sentiments has been rendered difficult by the intrusion of value judgments and popular beliefs. Sentiments are orientations predicated upon personifications, which are constructed largely through the imputation of motives. Typical sentiments are component parts of recurrent patterns of interpersonal relations, and they may be regarded as ways of playing common interpersonal roles. Psychoanalysts place considerable emphasis upon the importance of object relations in personality development, and psychologists are becoming more and more interested in the perception of people.
