Experience of Sense of Self (E-SOS)

Abstract

The Experience of Sense of Self (E-SOS), also referred to in early literature as the Self and Other Scale, is a specialized psychological scale designed to quantify the subjective experience of the relationship between an individual’s self and a broad array of external objects, internal states, and interpersonal entities. Developed primarily by Shvil and colleagues, the instrument measures the experienced boundary or degree of connection—ranging from complete independence to no separation—across various domains of life. It provides a structured method for assaying the multidimensional nature of the self in relation to the Sense of Self and the world.

Keywords

Self-concept, Self-other relationship, Psychological scale, Identity, Self-boundary, Interdependence, Experience of Self, Psychometrics.

Authors

E. Shvil, H. H. Krauss, E. Midlarsky, A. W. Ward

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Experience of Sense of Self (E-SOS) scale is to measure the perceived degree of connection or separation between the respondent’s core identity (the self) and specific entities or concepts. This measurement goes beyond simple self-concept inventories by focusing on the quality of the boundary between the internal self and various external or internal “others.”

The scale aims to map how individuals experience themselves across key life domains, including relationships, emotional states, societal pressures, and spiritual beliefs. By quantifying these self-other relationships, researchers and clinicians can gain insight into levels of integration, fusion, or isolation experienced by the individual, which is particularly relevant in studies concerning personality disorders, trauma, and identity development.

Construct

The E-SOS measures the construct of the experienced boundary of the self, which is rooted in Self-concept theory and object relations. The underlying theoretical premise is that the self is not a monolithic entity but is defined by its relationships and boundaries with various aspects of reality. The scale operationalizes this construct by asking respondents to rate their relationship with 45 distinct items along a continuum.

The core dimension assessed is the subjective sense of independence versus separation. A rating of “Completely independent” suggests a clear, defined boundary, whereas “No separation” indicates a state of psychological fusion or high interdependence with the item in question. The structure reveals that this relationship is not uniform, but rather multifaceted, manifesting across five distinct experiential dimensions.

Validity

While specific coefficients for convergent and discriminant validity are typically detailed in the full publication, the structure of the E-SOS suggests strong evidence of construct validity based on the clear factor groupings derived from the 45 items. The subscales—Experience of Positive Sensation, Challenges, Temptations, Higher Power, and Family—demonstrate theoretically meaningful clusters of self-other relationships.

The scale’s focus on the degree of separation/interdependence allows for targeted assessment of psychological boundaries, suggesting criterion validity in distinguishing between populations known to have boundary disturbances (e.g., certain clinical populations) and healthy controls. Further validation studies would typically correlate E-SOS scores with established measures of attachment style, identity integration, and psychological distress.

Reliability

Internal consistency reliability was established for the five derived subscales using Cronbach’s alpha, demonstrating generally acceptable to good reliability across the factors. The calculated alpha values are as follows:

• Experience of Positive Sensation: alpha 0.81
• Experience of Challenges: alpha 0.77
• Experience of Temptations: alpha 0.73
• Experience of Higher Power: alpha 0.78
• Experience of Family: alpha 0.65

The subscales related to Positive Sensation, Challenges, Temptations, and Higher Power exhibit strong internal consistency (alpha > 0.70). The Experience of Family subscale shows a slightly lower, though generally acceptable, reliability coefficient, suggesting that the items within this factor measure the construct reasonably cohesively.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the 45 items revealed a robust five-factor structure, which organizes the diverse relationships into meaningful psychological domains. These five distinct factors represent the primary ways in which the self relates to the world and internal states:

1. Experience of Positive Sensation: Items relating to physical image, aspirations, positive emotions, and intimate relationships (Items 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 38, 39, 40, 42, and 43).
2. Experience of Challenges: Items related to negative emotions, physical needs, and internal conflict (Items 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, and 29).
3. Experience of Temptations: Items associated with material possessions, media, and potentially harmful substances or behaviors (Items 3, 5, 14, 17, 22, 23, and 24).
4. Experience of Higher Power: Items concerning spiritual, religious, or philosophical concepts (Items 25, 30, 41, and 44).
5. Experience of Family: Items concerning immediate and extended family members (Items 1, 4, 28, and 31).

This multidimensional structure underscores the complexity of the self-other relationship, confirming that an individual may experience high independence in one domain (e.g., Temptations) while experiencing low separation (fusion) in another (e.g., Family).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychometric Scale / Survey Instrument

Format: 45 items rated on a 4-point Likert Scale continuum, anchored by (1) Completely independent and (4) No separation.

Language Available: English (Original publication language).

Population Group: General adult population and clinical populations.

Age Group: Typically 18 years and older (Adults).

Population Details: Developed and validated using university students and general adult samples in initial studies.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to consider the “Relationship between your self and…” the listed item, and then rate the degree of separation they experience on the four-point scale. Higher scores indicate a greater lack of separation or higher fusion/interdependence with the specific item.

Keywords

Psychological boundaries, Self-identity, Self-assessment, E-SOS, Self and Other Scale, Personality measurement, Psychological integration, Relationship assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source data.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source data.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source data.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: The definitive version of the scale and its psychometric properties were published in 2013, following earlier presentations starting in 2007.

Permissions & Fee: Permissions and fee structure are not detailed in the source content. Researchers should contact the corresponding author, E. Shvil, for current usage permissions.

The full instrument and methodology are detailed in the 2013 journal article. The original PDF can be downloaded here: The Experienced Self and Other Scale: A technique for assaying the experience of one’s self in relation to the other.

Reference’s

The development and validation of the Experience of Sense of Self (E-SOS) scale are documented in the following academic sources:

• Shvil, E., Krauss, H., H., Midlarsky, E., & Ward, A. W. (2007). Self and other scale: A technique for assaying one’s sense of self. Poster presented at the 19th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.
• Shvil, E., Midlarsky, E., & Krauss, H. H. (2009). Self and other scale: A technique for assaying one’s experience of self in relation to other. Poster presented at the 117th Annual Convention of the American psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
• Shvil, E. (2011). The Experienced Self and Other Scale: A technique for assaying the experience of one’s self in relation to the other. Columbia University, Doctoral thesis.
• Shvil, E., Midlarsky, E., & Krauss, H. H. (2013). The Experienced Self and Other Scale: A technique for assaying the experience of one’s self in relation to the other. Journal of Methods and Measurement in the Social Sciences, 4(2), 1-20.

Items of the Experience of Sense of Self (E-SOS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Relationship between your self and…

1. Mother
2. Childhood dreams
3. Money
4. Other family members
5. Internet
6. Acquaintances
7. Admired figure
8. Terror
9. Hunger
10. Your worst fear
11. Your body
12. Stresses
13. Your sexuality
14. Alcohol
15. What you despise about your self
16. Your fantasies
17. Food
18. Who you want to be
19. Optimism
20. Self control
21. Prescribed drugs
22. Non-prescribed drugs
23. T.V. watching
24. Your cell phone
25. God
26. Yourself ten years from now
27. Your work
28. Your sibling(s)
29. Sadness
30. Spirituality
31. Father
32. Yourself five years ago
33. Your ethnic group
34. Those with power over you
35. Those over whom you have power
36. Aggressiveness
37. Creativity
38. Your intelligence
39. Happiness
40. Hope
41. Fate
42. Your significant other
43. Excitement
44. Religion
45. Social norms