Sociotropy is a personality trait characterized by excessive investment in interpersonal relationships and usually studied in the field of social psychology.
[5][6][clarification needed] The Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (SAS) was introduced by Aaron T. Beck as a means of assessing two cognitive-personality constructs hypothesized as risk factors in depression.
The scale focuses on the two personality traits of Sociotropy (social dependency) and Autonomy (satisfying independency).
[7] From there each 30 items generated three factors for sociotropy: Concern About Disapproval, Attachment/Concern About Separation, and Pleasing Others; and three for autonomy: Individualistic or Autonomous Achievement, Mobility/Freedom from Control of Others, and Preference for Solitude.
People who are very dependent are classified as sociotropic individuals, and are more prone to depression as they seek to sustain their low self-esteem by establishing secure interpersonal relationships.
Research shows that many items from the SAS relate to dimensions of dependence and preoccupations for receiving approval of others, which is problematic in interpersonal relationships for people who are shy.
[11] The results from such research concludes that sociotropy predicts other symptoms of discomfort in assertive situations and in conversations.