Commentary on Cropp et al. (2025) Interpersonal Dynamics

The target article “Interpersonal Dynamics” presents the centrality of interpersonal processes in the formation and maintenance of psychological dysfunction, as well as in therapeutic change. The authors emphasize that interpersonal patterns are not static traits but should rather be viewed and understood as dynamic, reciprocal processes shaped by past experiences (priors) that are continuously re-enacted, consolidated or adapted (learning) in everyday social life. This resonates with the conception of self-beliefs as dynamic constructs, influenced not only by internal cognitive processes but also by the feedback and evaluations individuals receive from others. Both perspectives converge on the idea that self-beliefs are continuously constructed and reconstructed in a context of social interaction, where affect, motivation, and cognition are deeply entangled….