| Sumario: | In four studies, college students (both male and female, predominantly white) filled out a 50-item survey consisting of statements illustrating “separate” (critical, detached) and “connected” (empathic) ways of knowing (Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, & Tarule, 1986). The instrument showed acceptable internal reliability Scores on the two scales were uncorrelated, supporting the view that the two epistemological positions are independent. Females consistently rated connected knowing (CK) statements higher than separate knowing (SK) statements, while males showed a slight, but non-significant difference favoring SK statements. When participants were divided into groups using a joint median split of the two rating scores, females were disproportionately likely to be placed in the High CK-Low SK group. CK and SK scores were unrelated to performance on a variety of cognitive tasks, but were related to some measures of preference, suggesting that ways of knowing may junction more as approaches or styles rather than basic abilities. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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