Connected and Separate Selves: Development of an Inventory and Initial Validation

We describe the development and validation of the Relationship Self Inventory (RSI), which assesses 2 general self-orientations, (a) the Separate Self (SS) and (b) the Connected Self (CS), as well as two manifestations of connection, (a) Primacy of Other Care and (b) Self and Other Care. The CS reflects the importance of interconnectedness with others and a "voice of caring," whereas the SS reflects autonomy, independence, and a "voice of justice." Adequate reliability was demonstrated for the RSI on samples consisting of 927 women and 218 men ranging in age from 26 to 78. Construct validity of the RSI was also explored in a subsample (n = 604) by comparing its scales with measures of personality, temperament, and psychological adjustment. Although mean scores of men and women differed minimally on the CS and SS scales, gender differences in patterns of correlation with validity measures suggested that the meanings of the scales differed for men and women. The RSI appears to be an adequate survey tool for assessing these self-orientations.