"Compensatory" and "spillover" models have described the two basic relationships individuals form between work and nonwork experiences. The assembly line worker seeking compensation in nonwork activities for deadening work exemplifies the first. A person whose nonwork activities are an extension of work experiences exemplifies the second. The study was designed to deal with criticisms of past research; an individual's own perceptions of his two social environments were used to determine how he personally saw them as related. His self-concept was considered to determine whether any individual differences moderate the form of adjustment an individual achieves between the two spheres. A sample of 178 individuals, using a set of 25 semantic differential scales for comparison, could be classified into four types: spillover/work-oriented; spillover/nonwork-oriented; compensatory/work-oriented; and compensatory/nonwork-oriented. Analysis revealed that both types of spillover individuals viewed both spheres of experiences equally. Compensatory individuals showed sharp contrasts--the work-oriented viewed work experiences as more positive, and the nonwork-oriented viewed them as less positive, than nonwork experiences. Compensatory individuals of both types viewed themselves as less deliberate, active, orderly, and challenging than did spillover individuals. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed. (Author/AJ)