where ri is the predicted correlation with octant i, e is the elevation of the curve (i.e., the
average correlation with the external measure across all octants, indicating the correlation with
interpersonal distress), a is the amplitude of the curve (i.e., the distance between the average
correlation and the peak correlation, indicating the degree of interpersonal specificity in the
external measure), θi is the angle of octant i, and δ is the angular displacement of the peak of
the curve from 0o. In the current study, the SSM parameters directly answer the question of
whether depressive experiences (DEQ) and symptoms (BDI, HRSD) are associated with general
interpersonal distress and/or a specific interpersonal style. To facilitate comparisons between
constructs and samples, and to allow for inferential conclusions, we provide 95% bootstrap-based
confidence intervals (CIs) for each of these parameters (Zimmermann & Wright, 2014). Finally,
a goodness of fit index, R2, informs about the fit between the observed pattern of correlations
with the predicted cosine curve using the following formula: