Showing papers in "Self and Identity in 2012"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors tested whether nostalgia serves as a positive resource for the self and found that people who thought about a nostalgic experience were more likely to experience a positive future experience.
Abstract: This research tested whether nostalgia serves as a positive resource for the self. In Experiment 1, nostalgia was induced and the accessibility of positive self-attributes was assessed. Participants who thought about a nostalgic experience, relative to those who thought about a positive future experience, evidenced heightened accessibility of positive self-attributes. In Experiment 2, participants received negative or positive performance feedback and then thought about a nostalgic or ordinary past experience. Subsequently, they were given the opportunity to make internal attributions for their performance. Participants displayed a typical pattern of self-serving attributions if they were not given the opportunity to engage in nostalgia. Nostalgic engagement, however, attenuated this effect. Nostalgia indeed functions as a positive resource for the self.
178 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that self-Compassion is associated with well-being in later life and that interventions to promote self-compassion may improve quality of life among older adults.
Abstract: Two studies assessed the role of self-compassion as a moderator of the relationship between physical health and subjective well-being in the elderly. In Study 1, 132 participants, ranging in age from 67 to 90 years, completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions of their physical health, self-compassion, and subjective well-being. Participants who were in good physical health had high subjective well-being regardless of their level of self-compassion. However, for participants with poorer physical health, self-compassion was associated with greater subjective well-being. In Study 2, 71 participants between the ages of 63 and 97 completed a questionnaire assessing self-compassion, well-being, and their willingness to use assistance for walking, hearing, and memory. Self-compassionate participants reported being less bothered by the use of assistance than those low in self-compassion, although the relationship between self-compassion and willingness to use assistive devices was mixed. These findi...
164 citations
TL;DR: More American college students now rate themselves as above average on attributes such as academic ability, drive to achieve, leadership ability, public speaking ability, self-confidence, and writing ability as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Compared to previous generations, more American college students now rate themselves as above average on attributes such as academic ability, drive to achieve, leadership ability, public speaking ability, self-confidence, and writing ability (based on a nationally representative sample collected 1966–2009; N = 6.5 million). These birth cohort differences are similar with controls for race and gender and occurred despite the college population becoming less selective. Trends in positive self-views are correlated with grade inflation (which increased d = 0.81), but are not explained by changes in objective performance (e.g., SAT scores have declined, d = −0.22) or effort (time spent studying is down, d = − 0.31). Broad cultural shifts emphasizing positive self-views have apparently resulted in enhanced self-evaluations on agentic domains. Self-evaluations on communal attributes, such as understanding others, cooperativeness, and spirituality, either decreased or were unchanged.
146 citations
TL;DR: In a study of 144 Japanese, 180 Korean, and 688 US children, grades 3-6, differential item functioning analysis supported the cross-cultural equivalence of the TOSCA-C measure of shame, guilt, and pride as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In a study of 144 Japanese, 180 Korean, and 688 US children, grades 3–6, differential item functioning analysis supported the cross-cultural equivalence of the TOSCA-C measure of shame, guilt, and pride. Substantial differences were observed in the mean levels of shame, guilt and pride, with Japanese children scoring highest on shame, Korean children scoring highest on guilt, and US children scoring highest on pride. The pattern of correlations, however, was more similar than different across cultures. In all groups, shame-proneness was positively correlated with aggression-relevant constructs, whereas guilt-proneness was associated with a tendency to take responsibility for failures and transgressions.
91 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that the desire to see the self as meritorious mediates the relationship between preference for meritocracy and denial of privilege, and that this meritocracy-privilege relationship is moderated by Whites' need to bolster the self.
Abstract: We propose that embracing meritocracy as a distribution rule causes Whites to deny the existence of racial inequity. On this view, Whites who endorse meritocracy seek to regard themselves as high in merit, and maintain this self-view by denying racial privilege. Four studies show that preference for meritocracy better predicts denial of White privilege than anti-Black discrimination (Study 1), that the desire to see the self as meritorious mediates the relationship between preference for meritocracy and denial of privilege (Study 2), that this meritocracy–privilege relationship is moderated by Whites' need to bolster the self (Study 3), and that priming the meritocracy norm reduces perceptions of racial privilege among highly identified Whites (Study 4). Implications for the amelioration of social inequity are discussed.
78 citations
TL;DR: The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand, 2010) regards passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one loves, values, and in which one invests a substantial amount of time and energy as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand, 2010) regards passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one loves, values, and in which one invests a substantial amount of time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion, harmonious and obsessive, that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes, respectively. It was hypothesized that individuals with an obsessive passion would have their life satisfaction dependent on their performance. This is so because obsessive passion leads the activity to take a disproportionate place in one's life. On the other hand, this should not be the case for harmonious passion. Results of Study 1 (N = 63) revealed that the more professional painters had an obsessive passion toward their art, the more they experienced increases in life satisfaction following a success. On the other hand, accentuated decreases in life satisfaction were experienced following a failure. In contrast, harmonious passion was unrelated to this phenomenon. Stud...
71 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors found support for a model in which behaviors that reveal a stigmatized identity to others lead to expectations of accurate classification as stigmatized, and behaviors that conceal a stigmatised identity lead to expectation of misclassification as non-stigmatized.
Abstract: Whereas a large body of research examines the interpersonal stressors associated with revealing a stigmatized identity to others, comparatively little work documents the intrapsychic stressors associated with concealing a stigmatized identity from others. In two studies of persons with concealable stigmas (nerds in Study 1, gay men and lesbians in Study 2), we found support for a model in which behaviors that reveal a stigmatized identity to others lead to expectations of accurate classification as stigmatized, and behaviors that conceal a stigmatized identity lead to expectations of misclassification as nonstigmatized. In turn, expectations of accurate classification threaten stigmatized people's need for belonging (positive social connections), and expectations of misclassification threaten their need for coherence (feedback that confirms their stable self-views).
51 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated one potential moderator of these effects: attachment anxiety and found that individuals who experience elevated attachment anxiety desire greater closeness/intimacy in their relationships than their less anxious counterparts.
Abstract: Individuals' selves are malleable in romantic relationships Specifically, individuals integrate characteristics of partners into their self-concepts to further closeness/intimacy goals (Aron, 2003) Unfortunately, this malleability during relationships predicts self-concept change/confusion if a relationship ends (Slotter, Gardner, & Finkel, 2010) The current research investigated one potential moderator of these effects: attachment anxiety Individuals who experience elevated attachment anxiety desire greater closeness/intimacy in their relationships than their less anxious counterparts Thus, their self-concepts may be especially malleable in romantic relationships Testing these hypotheses, three studies using undergraduate samples demonstrated that elevated attachment anxiety predicted individuals' selves being more malleable during romantic relationships (Studies 1 & 2) and being more susceptible to change/confusion should the relationship end (Studies 3A & 3B)
44 citations
TL;DR: The psychological adjustment of individuals with stable and unstable forms of self-esteem was examined across three studies using undergraduate participants as discussed by the authors, and the pattern of these findings suggests that individuals with unstable low selfesteem are especially likely to experience dejection, whereas those with unstable high self-e ectiveness are likely to experienced agitation.
Abstract: The psychological adjustment of individuals with stable and unstable forms of self-esteem was examined across three studies using undergraduate participants. Study 1 (N = 122) included indicators of global distress and aggression; Study 2 (N = 199) focused on depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and rejection sensitivity; and Study 3 (N = 183) examined global distress, affect, and psychological well-being. Across each study, unstable self-esteem was found to moderate the association between self-esteem level and psychological adjustment. The pattern of these findings suggests that individuals with unstable low self-esteem are especially likely to experience dejection, whereas those with unstable high self-esteem are likely to experience agitation.
42 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a measure of self-congruence based on the social character that people inhabit in their interpersonal lives was proposed, which quantifies whether the Big Five traits of a person's typical social character are consistent with the traits of his/her unguarded self.
Abstract: What does it mean to be in or out of touch with oneself? Using undergraduate samples we tested a new conception and measure of self-congruence, based on the social character that people inhabit in their interpersonal lives. The measure quantifies whether the Big Five traits of a person's typical social character are consistent with the traits of his/her unguarded self. Study 1 (N = 135) showed that the non-discrepant character measure predicted subjective well-being (SWB), independently of the traits (i.e., low neuroticism, high extraversion) comprising the measure. The association with SWB was also independent of Goldman and Kernis's (2002) Likert-based measure of authenticity. Study 2 (N = 170) replicated these effects and also showed that the new measure was associated with self-concept differentiation (SCD; Donahue, Robins, Roberts, & John, 1993) and, in fact, accounted for SCD's effects. Study 2 demonstrated that psychological need-satisfaction mediated the link between having a non-discrepant social...
37 citations
TL;DR: This article found that a power-cognizant identity was associated with more pro-diversity attitudes than a prideful identity, despite equivalently high identification, while a weakly identified identity is associated with low identification and relatively neutral attitudes toward diversity.
Abstract: Previous research has drawn mixed conclusions regarding the relationship between White racial identity and attitudes toward diversity. We propose that identity form may help to disambiguate this relationship. In the present study, White participants wrote brief essays and were grouped based on their exhibition of one of three White identity forms: power-cognizant, prideful, or weakly identified. These groups were then compared on measures of White identification and attitudes toward diversity. A power-cognizant identity was associated with more pro-diversity attitudes than a prideful identity, despite equivalently high identification. A weakly identified form was associated with low identification and relatively neutral attitudes toward diversity. The findings suggest that, when predicting Whites' attitudes toward diversity, identity form matters.
TL;DR: This article found that fragile self-esteem was associated with suppressing negative test-related thoughts, punishing the self for experiencing such thoughts, and downplaying the importance of the threat, and suggest a mechanism by which these individuals may be vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
Abstract: Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with fragile (defensive, unstable, or contingent) self-esteem are more likely to engage in defensive, self-promoting or self-protective behavior than are individuals with secure high self-esteem. The current study is the first to examine how well all three fragile self-esteem markers predict coping with negative intrusive thoughts following an ego threat. Consistent with the hypothesis, fragile self-esteem was associated with suppressing negative test-related thoughts, punishing the self for experiencing such thoughts, and downplaying the importance of the threat. The results add to the growing body of evidence documenting the maladaptive nature of fragile self-esteem, and suggest a mechanism by which these individuals may be vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the levels of self-concept of delinquent young adults and found that both high-delinquent and non-def delinquent men and women fall into two groups.
Abstract: This study explored the levels of self-concept of delinquent young adults (n = 873). This question is of theoretical and practical importance, as therapeutic programs addressing the self-concept must be based on clear evidence. The present study demonstrated that self-concept is related to delinquent behavior and that men and women differ both in the strength and direction of the association. Furthermore, Bayesian latent class analysis revealed that both high-delinquent and non-delinquent men and women fall into two groups: those with high levels of self-concept and those with low levels of self-concept. This pattern emerged across the 12 different domains of self-concept assessed. These results may help to explain inconsistent results of previous studies on the link between self-concept and delinquency.
TL;DR: This paper found that people's mental representations of self also overlap with inanimate, seemingly impersonal, marketplace entities: consumer brands, suggesting that self-other overlap extends beyond individuals and in-groups.
Abstract: People's mental representations of self overlap with those of significant others and in-groups. We extend this finding to show that people's mental representations of self also overlap with inanimate, seemingly impersonal, marketplace entities: consumer brands. Our study follows the “including others in the self” paradigm set forth by Aron and colleagues. We use response times to find that characteristics on which the self and a loved brand are similar are relatively more accessible than dissimilar characteristics, indicating self–brand overlap. These findings suggest that self–other overlap extends beyond individuals and in-groups. Psychological implications of the inclusion of brands in the self are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors investigated the predictors of information avoidance in the context of a romantic relationship and ratings of physical attractiveness and found that compared to information seekers, information avoiders tended to expect greater benefits and fewer costs from the information, anticipate less regret over avoiding and more regret over seeking the information and perceive greater control and coping ability.
Abstract: People frequently face unknown information that has the potential to threaten their views of themselves or others. Two studies investigated the predictors of information avoidance in the context of a romantic relationship (Study 1) and ratings of physical attractiveness (Study 2). Results revealed that compared to information seekers, information avoiders tended to expect greater benefits and fewer costs from the information, anticipate less regret over avoiding and more regret over seeking the information, and perceive greater control and coping ability. Avoiders and seekers did not differ in their expectations about the content of information. Finally, although avoiders and seekers differed in many of their information perceptions, only perceived benefits and anticipated regret over avoiding the information independently predicted avoidance decisions.
TL;DR: The authors used scores on the Sense of Self Scale (SOSS) to test Marcia's (1966) claim that achieved identity status is associated with a stronger sense of self than are the three “less mature” identity statuses (diffused, foreclosed, and moratorium).
Abstract: This study used scores on the Sense of Self Scale (SOSS) to test Marcia's (1966) claim that the achieved identity status is associated with a stronger sense of self than are the three “less mature” identity statuses (diffused, foreclosed, and moratorium). The respondents were 290 undergraduates (74 males, 214 females) who participated in an online survey containing the Sense of Self Scale (SOSS), the Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS), the Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS), and the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status 2 (EOM-EIS II). In multiple regression models, SOSS scores were positively correlated with scores on the achieved identity subscale of the EOM-EIS-II, but were negatively correlated with scores on the diffused, foreclosed, and moratorium subscales. These findings support Marcia's (1966) theoretical view and provide additional evidence for the construct validity of the SOSS and EOM-EIS-II measures.
TL;DR: In this paper, a set of studies investigated whether students with greater self-concept clarity also demonstrated greater accuracy based on self-other agreement and behavioral prediction, and found that those with higher selfconcept clarity showed greater selfother agreement on personality traits, behavioral descriptions of personality, and accuracy of predicted behavior.
Abstract: The current set of studies investigated whether undergraduates with greater self-concept clarity also demonstrated greater accuracy based on self–other agreement and behavioral prediction. Study 1 demonstrated a positive association between self-concept clarity and target–informant agreement for a set of observable traits. Study 2 explored the association of self-concept clarity with target–informant agreement for the Big Five personality traits, a set of behaviors related to personality, and a set of everyday activities. Study 3 related self-concept clarity to a behavioral measure of accuracy by comparing participants' predicted and subsequent observed behavior on a laboratory task. As hypothesized, those with greater self-concept clarity showed greater self–other agreement on personality traits, behavioral descriptions of personality, and accuracy of predicted behavior.
TL;DR: It was finally predicted that approach results in a stronger identification with one's in-group than avoidance, and a paradigm that more directly taps a person's tendency to represent objects as belonging to small or large units is confirmed.
Abstract: Approach and avoidance are two basic motivational orientations. Their activation influences cognitive and perceptive processes: Previous work suggests that an approach orientation instigates a focus on larger units as compared to avoidance. Study 1 confirms this assumption using a paradigm that more directly taps a person's tendency to represent objects as belonging to small or large units than prior studies. It was further predicted that the self should also be represented as belonging to larger units, and hence be more interdependent under approach than under avoidance. Study 2 supports this prediction. As a consequence of this focus on belonging to larger units, it was finally predicted that approach results in a stronger identification with one's in-group than avoidance. Studies 3 and 4 support that prediction.
TL;DR: This paper found that women were more likely to endorse the math-gender stereotype stigmatizing their gender group when they anticipated a difficult versus easy math task and the same pattern was observed among men stigmatized with relatively poor verbal skills.
Abstract: This research proposes a self-handicapping process in which people proactively endorse negative in-group stereotypes when there is the prospect of failure in a task. In Experiment 1, we found that women were more likely to endorse the math-gender stereotype stigmatizing their gender group when they anticipated a difficult versus easy math task. In Experiment 2, the same pattern was observed among men stigmatized with relatively poor verbal skills. In Experiment 3, we found that such a self-handicapping tendency was most prominent among individuals with high trait self-esteem, who are presumably more motivated to maintain self-esteem versus those with low trait self-esteem. All together, these results suggest that endorsing negative in-group stereotypes can be used as an anticipatory coping mechanism, occurring even before receiving failure feedback in the presence of a high risk of failure.
TL;DR: For instance, the authors found that self-awareness increased negative affect among discrepant low self-esteem participants in implicit and explicit selfesteem measures, and half of the participants were made to be self-aware by completing a task with a mirror in front of them for 3 minutes.
Abstract: Past research suggests that individuals with discrepant low self-esteem (low explicit and high implicit self-esteem) may hold themselves against higher standards and judge themselves more critically when they fall short of those standards (Zeigler-Hill & Terry, 2007). We postulated that for discrepant low self-esteem individuals, self-awareness would activate their stringent standards and the fact that they have failed to meet those standards, thereby increasing negative affect. In this study, 144 participants completed implicit and explicit self-esteem measures, and half were then made to be self-aware by completing a task with a mirror in front of them for 3 minutes. We found that self-awareness increased negative affect among discrepant low self-esteem participants.
TL;DR: In this article, the assumption that contingent self-esteem is influenced by socialization processes was examined in a prospective national cohort study of 1,220 Swedish nursing students during their three-year education.
Abstract: Contingent self-esteem has been identified as a marker of psychological vulnerability. The assumption that contingent self-esteem is influenced by socialization processes was examined in a prospective national cohort study of 1,220 Swedish nursing students during their three-year education. Contingent self-esteem was annually assessed by a measure of performance-based self-esteem. Mean levels of performance-based self-esteem increased from the first to the later years of education, and the increase over one year was greater for the nursing students than for a matched group of work employees. These data suggest that participation in higher education could be associated with increased contingent self-esteem. The findings also introduce questions about whether investment in a professional role may foster vulnerability, thereby raising issues for the social investment principle.
TL;DR: This article found that those with a highly relational self-construal had more favorable attitudes toward the advertisements and were more likely to help charity advertisements, which indicates that charities may consider targeting individuals who have a high relational selfconstruality to receive more donations.
Abstract: Three studies examined the effect of relational self-construal on attitudes and behaviors toward charity advertisements after controlling for sex. In Study 1, 110 undergraduates completed a measure of relational self-construal and a questionnaire assessing liking toward charity advertisements. Study 2 (n = 121) utilized the same procedure as Study 1, but measured perceived effectiveness of the advertisements. Study 3 (n = 90) used a behavioral measure of helping. The results demonstrated that those with a highly relational self-construal had more favorable attitudes toward the advertisements and were more likely to help. This indicates that charities may consider targeting individuals who have a highly relational self-construal to receive more donations.
TL;DR: This article examined how personal need for structure (Neuberg et al., 1993; Thompson, Naccarato, Parker, and Moskowitz, 2001) was associated with degree of self-perceived same-sex sexuality in a sample of 103 heterosexually identified young adult women.
Abstract: Though sexuality is often described categorically, the sexual experiences that form the basis of heterosexuals' self-perceived sexuality are often not clear cut and can be open to interpretation. Factors other than actual sexual experiences may also be associated with self-perceptions of sexuality. The present research examined how personal need for structure (Neuberg & Newsom, 1993; Thompson, Naccarato, Parker, & Moskowitz, 2001) was associated with degree of self-perceived same-sex sexuality in a sample of 103 heterosexually identified young adult women. Results indicated that women higher in personal need for structure self-perceived less same-sex sexuality than women lower in personal need for structure, even when accounting for conservatism on gay and lesbian issues and for perceptions of the degree of same-sex sexuality experienced by other heterosexual women. We discuss implications for future research on the self-perception of same-sex sexuality in heterosexuals.
TL;DR: It is proposed that the “self-as-doer” identity might help explain the relationship between behavioral self-efficacy and health behavior enactment, and significant indirect effects of self-as thedoer were found for exercise, diet, and blood glucose monitoring for persons with type II diabetes.
Abstract: The mechanisms by which self-efficacy contribute to improved diabetes self-care behaviors are poorly understood. We propose that the ‘‘self-as-doer’’ identity might help explain the relationship between behavioral self-efficacy and health behavior enactment. Adults with diabetes (type I ¼ 200, type II ¼ 130) completed self-report measures assessing diabetes management-specific self-efficacy, self-as-doer, and self-care behaviors. We tested the intervening effects of the ‘‘self-as-doer’’ identity on the relationship between self-efficacy and diabetes self-care behaviors. For persons with type I diabetes, self-as-doer was a significant intervening variable for all self-care behaviors. Significant indirect effects of self-as-doer were found for exercise, diet, and blood glucose monitoring for persons with type II diabetes. Implications and recommendations for interventions are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, a modification of the classic paradigm used by Baldwin and Holmes (1987), 96 undergraduates (33 males, 62 females, and 1 unreported) were primed to perspective take or given a neutral prime before visualizing an older family member and reading an article about sexual dreams.
Abstract: Past research has shown that people's reported beliefs come to correspond with the apparent beliefs of salient significant others (e.g., Andersen & Chen, 2002; Baldwin, 1997). The current research extends this work by examining the degree to which such effects are influenced by perspective taking. In a modification of the classic paradigm used by Baldwin and Holmes (1987), 96 undergraduates (33 males, 62 females, and 1 unreported) were primed to perspective take or given a neutral prime before visualizing an older family member and reading an article about sexual dreams. As predicted, perspective taking enhanced the effect of significant other priming; participants who took the perspective of an older family member liked the sex article less than those who did not perspective take. Experiment 2 (39 males and 28 female undergraduates) demonstrated that this consequence of perspective taking was limited to significant others and did not extend to category exemplars.
TL;DR: The role of negative affect as a potential causal mechanism underlying the tendency for prior attitudes to bias evaluations of scientific information was investigated using a misattribution of affect manipulation in this paper, where half the participants were given the opportunity to misattribute any negative affect to poor room conditions or caffeinated water.
Abstract: The role of negative affect as a potential causal mechanism underlying the tendency for prior attitudes to bias evaluations of scientific information was investigated using a misattribution of affect manipulation. Participants read scientific studies that disconfirmed prior beliefs. Half the participants were given the opportunity to misattribute any negative affect to poor room conditions (Study 1) or caffeinated water (Study 2). All participants then evaluated the methodological quality of the scientific information. Those in the misattribution condition evaluated the information more positively than those in the control condition. In Study 2, no differences were found for participants reading confirming information. The role of affect in attitude resistance is discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, three studies tested self-esteem as a moderator of the effect of self-threats on contingencies of selfworth and found that participants with high selfesteem tended to decrease the extent to which their self-worth depended on the threatened domain.
Abstract: Three studies tested self-esteem as a moderator of the effect of self-threats on contingencies of self-worth. In Studies 1 and 2, participants recalled favorable or unfavorable experiences related to belongingness or academic competence; in Study 3, women watched commercials featuring attractive models. In general, threatening conditions led participants with high self-esteem to decrease the extent to which their self-worth depends on the threatened domain. In contrast, threatening conditions generally led participants with low self-esteem to increase the extent to which their self-worth depends on the threatened domain. The present studies suggest that contingencies of self-worth are malleable and that self-threats affect contingencies of self-worth in ways that perpetuate existing levels of trait self-esteem.
TL;DR: The authors investigated the ability to predict various self-defining memory dimensions from individual differences in repressiveness, operationalized by high levels of defensiveness and low levels of trait anxiety.
Abstract: The present study investigates the ability to predict various self-defining memory dimensions from individual differences in repressiveness, operationalized by high levels of defensiveness and low levels of trait anxiety. Three self-defining memories from 83 participants (aged between 27 and 43 years) recruited from the general population were analyzed with multilevel models. The main results showed that repression-prone individuals, relative to more adjusted individuals, retrieved more specific self-defining memories and were less likely to extract meanings from their personal memories. Moreover, self-threatening, self-defining memories of repression-prone individuals contained fewer negative emotional words than did those of more adjusted individuals. These results are discussed in light of a recent affect-regulation view of emotional autobiographical memories.
TL;DR: The authors examined whether membership of an ethnic majority/minority group and one's ethnic identification predicted perceptions of similarity with cross-group interaction partners, and found that stronger ethnic identification was associated with less projection (perceived and assumed dissimilarity).
Abstract: Unstructured interactions between members of different ethnic groups are increasingly common, yet have received relatively little research attention. The present research examined whether membership of an ethnic majority/minority group and one's ethnic identification predicted perceptions of similarity with cross-group interaction partners. Each participant spoke individually with three members of another ethnic group in round-robin fashion. Analyses using the social relations model revealed that majority/minority status moderated the relationship between ethnic identification and similarity perceptions. Among minority participants, but not those from the majority, stronger ethnic identification was associated with less projection (perceived and assumed dissimilarity). Additional analyses revealed that, across both groups, stronger other-group orientation was correlated with more mirror effects (eliciting similarity perceptions from others).
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Self and identity have been studied extensively in the literature as mentioned in this paper for decades, but that has hardly been a steady, stable enterprise, as fundamental assumptions about what self and identity are have changed repeatedly, as have the methods for studying them.
Abstract: Psychologists have studied questions of self and identity for decades, but that has hardly been a steady, stable enterprise. Fundamental assumptions about what self and identity are have changed repeatedly, as have the methods for studying them. Although some might look on the history of self research as chaotic and discouraging, there has actually been ample progress. The diversity of ideas and approaches attests to the richness of the topic as well as its perennial power to fascinate.