Self-Complexity and Self-Concept Differentiation - What Have We Been Measuring for the Past 30 Years?

Current Psychology
Aleksandra Pilarska, Anna Suchańska

Abstract

Research on the relation between the structure of the self-concept and psychological well-being has yielded seemingly inconsistent and even conflicting results. This article presents studies that examined the validity of often-used measures of self-complexity and self-concept differentiation and tested their ability to predict personal identity and active cognitive processing. The findings revealed several conceptual and methodological problems that continue to plague self-structure research, including the conflating of self-concept content and self-concept structure. In short, our data indicated that the commonly used indices of self-complexity and self-concept differentiation cannot be considered pure measures of the underlying dimensions of self-structure. In addition, only weak correlations of the self-structure variables with measures of personal identity and thinking dispositions have been found. Moreover, once the theoretically irrelevant sources of variance were controlled, the effects of the included structural features of the self-concept on the outcomes of interest either did not occur or were less pronounced. Given the above, it seems reasonable to suggest that at least some of the conclusions regarding the adaptive...Continue Reading

References

Jul 1, 1992·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·P M NiedenthalM B Wherry
Apr 1, 1987·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·P W Linville
Jun 1, 1995·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·R L WoolfolkM Polino
Oct 1, 1996·Journal of Adolescence·R F Baumeister, M Muraven
May 23, 2000·Journal of Personality·P McReynoldsC House
Jan 5, 2002·Psychology and Aging·M DiehlJ M Stanton
Dec 26, 2002·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Eunkook M Suh
Feb 25, 2003·Journal of Personality·Jennifer D CampbellAdam Di Paula
Jun 6, 2003·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Kenneth D Locke
Oct 1, 1961·Journal of Consulting Psychology·J BLOCK
Nov 6, 2003·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Susan E CrossMichael L Morris
May 21, 2004·The Japanese Psychological Research·MICHIKO Sakaki
Jun 24, 2004·Journal of Personality·Erika J Koch, James A Shepperd
Apr 6, 2006·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Brendan M BairdRichard E Lucas
Aug 29, 2007·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Tammy English, Serena Chen
Nov 13, 2007·Journal of Personality·Brent W Roberts
Nov 13, 2007·Journal of Personality·Jennifer G La Guardia, Richard M Ryan
Mar 5, 2008·The Review of Scientific Instruments·M Bacal
Aug 30, 2008·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·A Timothy ChurchMarcia S Katigbak
Dec 4, 2008·The Journal of Psychology·David Njus, Dan R Johnson
Nov 11, 2009·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Monika FleischhauerAnja Strobel
Dec 18, 2009·Journal of Personality Assessment·Wenshu LuoRaymond Y H Lam
Oct 21, 2011·International Journal of Aging & Human Development·Manfred Diehl, Elizabeth L Hay
Apr 1, 2010·International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie·Nima GhorbaniP J Watson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 2, 2017·Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy·Kerrie Channer, Laura Jobson
Oct 4, 2021·Journal of Personality·Nicole Maria ThomasDirk Kranz

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.