The authors investigated the theoretical foundations of the construct known as the working model of self—and the development of the Impact Message Inventory-Generalized Other (IMI-GO) as a potential circumplex representation of this construct. The IMI is a circumplex measure that assesses both self-report and transactional features of interpersonal relations. The current study involved a six-week longitudinal examination of several measures of interpersonal style on an undergraduate population. The intent was to evaluate the unique contributions of the IMI to our understanding of interpersonal transactions and to assess the reliability, validity and factor structure of this measure. An analysis of the psychometric properties of the IMI-GO revealed acceptable levels of internal consistency, reliability, and stability, along with good construct and concurrent validity. However, the measure did not manifest true orthogonality of the agency and affiliation axes. Hierarchical factor analysis revealed a solution consistent with eight primary factors (octants) and two secondary factors (control and affiliation), but the higher-order factor representing control showed a strong relationship with interpersonal sensitivity. Suggestions for restructuring the measure were addressed.
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