IngentaConnect Self-Consciousness and Cognitive Prototypes of the Ideal Self

Abstract:

The current research included two studies that assessed private as well as public self-consciousness and tested recognition memory of trait adjectives which participants had rated according to either private/ideal (Study 1) or public/ideal (Study 2) self-descriptiveness. Each study produced a pattern of false alarms (FA) that corresponded to predictions: Study 1 revealed that participants high in private self-consciousness committed more FA to distractors that described the private/ideal self most, but fewer FA to distractors that described the private/ideal self least, than did participants low in private self-consciousness, whereas Study 2 revealed that participants high in public self-consciousness committed more FA to distractors that described the public/ideal self most, but fewer to distractors that described the public/ideal self least, than did participants low in public self-consciousness. Considered jointly, the results supported the hypotheses. First, individuals mentally represent both private and public facets of the ideal self according to cognitive prototypes. Second, private (but not public) self-consciousness predicts the extent to which individuals have developed the prototype that represents the private facet of the ideal self, whereas public (but not private) self-consciousness predicts the extent to which individuals have developed the prototype that represents the public facet. Copyright 1997 Academic Press.

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$54.38 plus tax Refund Policy