CONFUSION IN SETTING HDGS CAUSED MORE CONFUSION AS APCH PROGRESSED. CAPT RPTR SET SPD ASSIGNMENT IN HDG; THEN REALIZING ERROR; SET WRONG HDG. APCH CTLR THEN GAVE ANOTHER HDG CHANGE WITH A L TURN (NOT KNOWING THE ACFT WAS ON THE WRONG HDG). PF FO QUESTIONED THE TURN DIRECTION WHEN THEY RECEIVED A TCASII ALERT. FINALLY; AFTER MUCH MANEUVERING AND IMPROPER SETTINGS; THEY SETTLED DOWN AND MADE THE APCH. POST FLT REVIEW WITH TRACON REVEALED THE PROBS.

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THE FO WAS FLYING OUR SECOND LEG TOGETHER DURING A BUSY MORNING PERIOD TO ORD WITH WX AT CAT I MINIMUMS. WHILE INTERCEPTING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14L WE WERE GIVEN SLOW TO 170 KTS; TURN L TO 320 DEGS. THE FO SET 170 KTS AND I SET 170 DEGS IN THE HDG SELECTOR. LOOKING DOWN AT THE HSI I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND SET THE HDG BACK TO 230 DEGS WHICH LOOKED FOR OUR POS; NOT REALIZING THAT I HAD JUST SET IN THE RECIPROCAL OF THE CORRECT HDG. WITHIN THE NEXT MIN THE FOLLOWING PROBS DEVELOPED AFTER WE ROLLED OUT ON A 230 DEG HDG WITH THE AUTOPLT. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A L 270 DEGS AND TOLD US TO KEEP IT TIGHT. THE FO SET IN 270 DEGS AND THE ACFT BANKED TO THE R. THE FO QUESTIONED THE L TURN SINCE THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE IN THE PROPER DIRECTION AND I AGREED. AT THAT TIME WE RECEIVED A TA FOR AN ACFT 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI. THE CTLR THEN TOLD US TO TURN R TO 360 DEGS AND DSND TO 3000 FT. THE FO DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND BANKED INTO A HARD R TURN. THE BANK ANGLE ALERT SOUNDED TWICE. THE FO HAD NOT SELECTED THE FLT LEVEL CHANGE AND WE CONTINUED THE TURN TO 360 DEGS. THE CTLR THEN STATED HE NEEDED US DOWN TO 3000 FT AND THE FO BEGAN A SLOW TURN DSCNT TO 3000 FT. THE FO REENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND CONTINUED THE APCH WITHOUT ANY PROBS. IT WAS NOT TILL I CALLED ORD TRACON SUPVR ON THE LAND LINE THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD SET IN THE WRONG RECIPROCAL HDG WHICH HAD STARTED OUR PROBS. I CAUSED THIS PROB VIOLATION BY SETTING IN THE WRONG HDG AFTER READING BACK THE CORRECT HDG TO ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 329121: MY LEG FIRST LEG OF DAY. ORD CAT I MINS. FIRST TRIP IN 3 WKS. DOWNWIND RWY 14L. GIVEN L TURN TO 230 DEGS SLOW TO 170 KTS. USED SPDBRAKES. CAPT SET HDG; I STARTED TURN. LEVEL 4000 FT. ATC GAVE TURN TO 270 DEGS. I QUERIED CAPT IF L OR R; ATC SAID TO MAKE IT TIGHT. MADE IMMEDIATE R TURN. SOON GOT TA; LEVEL 3 NM. ATC GAVE R TURN TO 360 DEGS; DSND TO 3000 FT. I BEGAN R TURN; DISENGAGED AUTOPLT AND HARDENED TURN. I FAILED TO ENGAGE FLT LEVEL CHANGE AND WAS IN SLOW DSCNT OPPOSITE FLT DIRECTOR. AFTER ROLLOUT ON 360 DEGS; ATC GAVE DSCNT TO 3000 FT AGAIN. I ENGAGED AUTOPLT/FLT LEVEL CHANGE AGAIN. FLEW NORMAL APCH TO LNDG. AT THE TIME; THE L TURN TO 270 DEGS DID NOT MAKE SENSE SINCE IT WAS A 330 DEG HDG CHANGE. I SENSED URGENCY BY ATC REQUEST TO KEEP TURN TIGHT AND TURNED VERSUS ASKING ATC AGAIN IF L OR R. ALSO MY FAILURE TO ENSURE FLT LEVEL CHANGE WAS ENGAGED CAUSED ME TO DELAY MY DSCNT AND INCREASED OUR CHANCES FOR A TFC CONFLICT.