The Intrapersonal Field: A CIIT Framework for Self-System Dynamics

This paper extends Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory (CIIT) to the intrapersonal domain, proposing that people relate to themselves using the same dynamics that govern relationships between people. I develop three interconnected ideas: an intrapersonal transaction cycle that traces how self-evaluations unfold moment-to-moment, intrapersonal complementarity as a principle explaining why patterns like self-criticism are so resistant to change, and introjection reconceptualized as the installation of whole relational cycles rather than isolated content. The framework generates testable hypotheses about personality dynamics and self-regulation, and I outline concrete strategies for integrating these ideas into CIIT research and clinical practice.