You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Coherence versus fragmentation in the self-system: Implications for self-evaluation and social behavior

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2005
Summary:
Self-systems process self-relevant information, act as platforms for action, maintain well-being, and shape interpersonal relationships. To perform these functions, coherent self-structure of evaluatively consistent self-aspects is required. Coherence is experienced as self-certainty (self-concept clarity, confidence, constancy). The issue is addressed from a dynamical systems perspective that conceptualizes the self as a complex system of self-organizing interdependent cognitive/affective elements. Self-structure coherence (SSC) is hypothesized to produce self-certainty, self-esteem, self-stability; extreme, positive, and confident self-evaluations of traits, roles; abstract mental representations; and consistency in self-evaluation. SSC is operationalized by entropy , an index of organization vs. disorganization of self-view. Participants (N = 135) indicated the frequency (always to never) of Big Five traits deconstructed into levels (extremely to not at all; e.g., how often are you highly helpful?). Endorsement of frequent vs. infrequent levels indicates self-structure coherence whereas equiprobable endorsement indicates self-structure incoherence of self-view. Participants indicated their standing on, certainty about, and personal importance of traits and roles; completed Rosenberg's (1968) self-esteem/self-stability scale, behavior identification form, and unipolar Big Five inventory. Coherent SSCs had higher self-certainty, self-esteem, and self-stability; more extreme, positive trait and role self-evaluations; and more abstract action representations than fragmented SSCs. Dynamics of self and structural features were examined using the mouse paradigm that captures moment-to-moment self-evaluation of stream-of-thought. Self-attention modes are hypothesized to affect evaluative coherence in fragmented vs. coherent individuals. Considering action evokes inconsistent self-evaluation (repair, N = 22) while planning action evokes consistent self-evaluation (expression, N = 22) and thinking about the self may evoke either state (control; N = 10). Fragmented SSCs showed a relationship between SSC and volatility of positive/negative self-evaluation in repair but not express mode. There was no difference in volatility between express and repair but there was greater volatility in control mode. These findings suggest that (a) considering action activates uncertainty for those with fragmented vs. coherent self-structures and (b) thinking about social interaction forges evaluative consistency for fragmented and coherent individuals. Self-structure coherence may allow the self vs. others to guide one's actions, facilitate self-concept maintenance, improve self-regulatory processes, and increase understanding of self and others.
Title: Coherence versus fragmentation in the self-system: Implications for self-evaluation and social behavior.
129 views
43 downloads
Name(s): McMillan, Katharine K.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Psychology
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2005
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 112 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Self-systems process self-relevant information, act as platforms for action, maintain well-being, and shape interpersonal relationships. To perform these functions, coherent self-structure of evaluatively consistent self-aspects is required. Coherence is experienced as self-certainty (self-concept clarity, confidence, constancy). The issue is addressed from a dynamical systems perspective that conceptualizes the self as a complex system of self-organizing interdependent cognitive/affective elements. Self-structure coherence (SSC) is hypothesized to produce self-certainty, self-esteem, self-stability; extreme, positive, and confident self-evaluations of traits, roles; abstract mental representations; and consistency in self-evaluation. SSC is operationalized by entropy , an index of organization vs. disorganization of self-view. Participants (N = 135) indicated the frequency (always to never) of Big Five traits deconstructed into levels (extremely to not at all; e.g., how often are you highly helpful?). Endorsement of frequent vs. infrequent levels indicates self-structure coherence whereas equiprobable endorsement indicates self-structure incoherence of self-view. Participants indicated their standing on, certainty about, and personal importance of traits and roles; completed Rosenberg's (1968) self-esteem/self-stability scale, behavior identification form, and unipolar Big Five inventory. Coherent SSCs had higher self-certainty, self-esteem, and self-stability; more extreme, positive trait and role self-evaluations; and more abstract action representations than fragmented SSCs. Dynamics of self and structural features were examined using the mouse paradigm that captures moment-to-moment self-evaluation of stream-of-thought. Self-attention modes are hypothesized to affect evaluative coherence in fragmented vs. coherent individuals. Considering action evokes inconsistent self-evaluation (repair, N = 22) while planning action evokes consistent self-evaluation (expression, N = 22) and thinking about the self may evoke either state (control; N = 10). Fragmented SSCs showed a relationship between SSC and volatility of positive/negative self-evaluation in repair but not express mode. There was no difference in volatility between express and repair but there was greater volatility in control mode. These findings suggest that (a) considering action activates uncertainty for those with fragmented vs. coherent self-structures and (b) thinking about social interaction forges evaluative consistency for fragmented and coherent individuals. Self-structure coherence may allow the self vs. others to guide one's actions, facilitate self-concept maintenance, improve self-regulatory processes, and increase understanding of self and others.
Identifier: 9780496982431 (isbn), 12138 (digitool), FADT12138 (IID), fau:9046 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Adviser: Andrjez Nowak.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2005.
Subject(s): Psychology, Social
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12138
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.