In 1957 Leary developed a model to allow relationships between people to be mapped: the so-called "Leary’s Rose". This model can be helpful in obtaining a greater insight into relationship levels.

Many socio-scientific studies into human relationships have invariably highlighted two main dimensions:
1. a control, influence and dominance dimension;
2. an intimacy and affection dimension.

In other words, when people interact with each other, on the one hand there is an aspect of power and influence, or lack thereof, and on the other an aspect of personal distance or closeness.

The first dimension concerns the extent to which people exert an influence on each other. At the one extreme of this dimension we find "considerable influence" (power, prevalence, dominance and the like), at the other extreme "little influence" (obedience, submissiveness and the like). The division of influence between conversation partners can therefore also take different forms. Where the division of influence is equal, we talk of a symmetrical relationship. Where it is unequal, of a complementary relationship.

The second dimension concerns the question of how personally or distantly the people concerned interact with each other. This dimensions is more concerned with questions of cooperation or counteraction, sympathy or antipathy, affection or rejection and all points in between. At the one extreme of the cooperation side we place cooperative behaviour such as supporting, helping and assisting; at the other extreme all manner of behaviour that creates the right distance and implies counteraction.

If the first dimension deals with the theme of "above or below", the second dimension deals with "near or far" or "together or separate". Leary based his model on these two dimensions: he calls the "above-below" dimension vertical, and the "separate-together" dimension horizontal. (See figure a). With this model we are better able to depict symmetrical and complementary interactions. In principle, there are a great many symmetrical and complementary interactions. Each time behaviour from a specific sector, say leading behaviour or aggressive behaviour, is answered by similar behaviour, therefore also with leading or aggressive behaviour, this is a symmetrical interaction. Each time behaviour from a specific sector, for example leading or aggressive behaviour again, is answered by behaviour from the opposite sector in the other semicircle, therefore by dependent or defiant behaviour, this is a complementary interaction. This gives the complementary interactions shown in figure b.

Studies have shown that the following complementary patterns occur most frequently in groups:
- leading-dependent, and vice versa: dependent-leading;
- helping-cooperative, and vice versa: cooperative-helping;
- competitive-aggressive, and vice versa: aggressive-competitive.

Where symmetry is concerned, the following patterns occur most frequently in groups:
- cooperative-cooperative ("together"-"together");
- dependent-dependent ("together"-"together");
- aggressive-aggressive ("opposed"-"opposed");
- competitive-competitive ("opposed"-"opposed").

In other words: "together" behaviour from one person is generally answered by "together" behaviour from the other. "Opposed" behaviour from one person generally elicits new "opposed" behaviour.

Below is a summary of the eight sectors in Leary’s Rose, by summarising the relationship level per sector.

self-definition: I am different from others, I do not need anyone
definition of the other: you are unreliable, you do not like me
relationship definition: reject me, even hate me

self-definition: I am weak and obedient, I need help
definition of the other: you are stronger than I am
relationship definition: you must help me and give me guidance