Next, you will be asked to rate your relationships on several factors. Let’s review those factors. In the SCRS your relational world is like a solar system with you in the middle (the central sun) and your relationships orbiting around you, like planets in different orbits.

The orbits are the Inner Circle, Middle Circle, and Outer Circle. You will be prompted to place each relationship in your Inner Circle, Middle Circle, or Outer Circle.

• • Your Inner Circle consists of very close family and friends by your choice, or people with whom you are in close association (such as co-workers or supervisors) by necessity. Also included are strong relationships with things other than people (e.g., pets, alcohol, sports) as mentioned above. People and other relationships in your Inner Circle have your attention either by your choice or not, and whether the relationship is positive or negative. People and other entities in your inner circle are a major focus of your time and resources.


• • People and other entities in your Middle Circle are not as close as those in your Inner Circle but are more than acquaintances. They are family and friends, or co-workers and supervisors, mentors, groups of people, activities, and things, etc., who have some influence on your life but are less demanding than those in the Inner Circle. You may not interact with them for significant periods of time with little cost to the relationship. Examples of people in your Middle Circle are friends with whom you go out to eat occasionally, people with whom you volunteer, an old friend whom you don’t see regularly but talk to at times by phone, parents for whom you assist in caretaking but otherwise have limited interaction. Likewise, things or activities in your Middle Circle require only a moderate amount of your time and resources.


• • Those relationships in your Outer Circle are people or entities who are of little relative importance and are a minor focus of your time and resources. They can be acquaintances, relatives, or co-workers with whom you have little interaction and can commonly ignore if you choose. Other examples are a relative you see once a year at a reunion, a hairdresser, a neighbor you greet regularly but never get to know, a worker at your office whom you know only by occasional interaction. Relationships in your Outer Circle may include things or activities that rarely take up your current time and resources.

After placing relationships in an orbit, you will be asked to rate the strength of the influence that relationship has over you (weak, moderate, or strong). The influence a relationship has on you could be either positive or negative. Next, you will be asked to rate the likability of the person or relationship. This means how well you “click” with that relationship, or how strong your affinity is for that relationship. This may include your urge to interact and connect with that relationship.

Then, for each person or relationship in your relational world, you will be asked to rate the level of positive or negative influence on your life. Lastly, you will be asked to indicate how long you have known this person or been involved with this relationship and to indicate how often you interact with this person or relationship.