Self-consciousness and reactance

Two studies examined the effects of dispositional self-consciousness on reactance. In Experiment 1, men who were high in private self-consciousness displayed greater reactance responses to a coercive communication attempt (as reflected by attitude reversal) than did men lower in private self-consciousness. In contrast, the effect of public self-consciousness in this context was to inhibit the expression of reactance. In Experiment 2, women high in private self-consciousness exhibited greater reactance responses to a self-imposed threat to their freedom of choice (as reflected by equivocation over two choice alternatives) than did women lower in private self-consciousness. The effect of public self-consciousness in this context was negligible. These findings replicate and extend a previous self-awareness and reactance finding; they provide additional evidence that manipulated self-awareness and dispositional self-consciousness converge on the same psychological entity; and they provide additional evidence that there are important differences between the dimensions of private and public self-consciousness.     

Order effects in the administration of personality measures: the case of the Self-Consciousness Scale

The pitfalls of serial administration of personality measures as a research selection device were explored. Three samples of subjects were administered the Self-Consciousness Scale (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss, 1975) either first or last in a series of questionnaires. As predicted, those who responded to the measure last obtained higher private self-consciousness scores. However, the strength of the effect was moderated by the number of other measures included in the testing. Unexpectedly, public self-consciousness scores also were influenced by order of administration of the measure. Subjects who were administered the scale last evidenced lower public self-consciousness scores although this effect reached significance in only one of three samples of subjects. The broader implications of these findings for researchers who employ mass test administration procedures to select subjects for personality research are considered.     

Effects of Self-Consciousness and Social Anxiety on Self-Disclosure among Unacquainted Individuals: An Application of the Social Relations Model

Recent research has demonstrated a positive relationship between private self-consciousness and the tendency to self-disclose. These studies have relied exclusively upon self-reports of disclosure. In the present study, Kenny's Social Relations Model (Kenny & La Voie, 1984) was employed to examine the relationship between a subject's self-reports and others' reports of a subject's level of self-disclosure and the relationship of these reports to private self-consciousness, as well as the other traits measured by the self-consciousness scale: public self-consciousness and social anxiety. Unacquainted college women (N = 102) participated in one-on-one interactions in a round-robin design. Subject's self-reports of disclosure and their levels of private self-consciousness correlated positively. The partners' reports of an individual's disclosure, however, were not related to the individual's level of private self-consciousness. The discrepancy between these correlations emphasizes the necessity to ground research in personal relationships on interacting pairs and not only on the self-reports of one member. Future research that would explore this difference is discussed. The examination of the self- and partner reports and subjects' levels of public self-consciousness and social anxiety demonstrated that these two traits significantly influence the acquaintance process. Public self-consciousness related positively to subjects' beliefs that they had created consistent impressions upon their partners. Social anxiety correlated negatively with partners' reports of a subject's dyadic involvement and openness.     

大学生自尊与网络过激行为的关系:社交焦虑和双自我意识的作用

本研究探讨了自尊与网络过激行为的关系,以391名大学生为被试,采用问卷法考察了社交焦虑在自尊与网络过激行为关系中的中介作用,以及该过程是否受到公我意识、私我意识水平的调节。结果发现：（1）在控制了性别、年龄后,自尊对网络过激行为具有负向预测作用;（2）社交焦虑在自尊和网络过激行为间起部分中介作用;（3）公我意识调节自尊对网络过激行为的直接作用。相对于公我意识水平高的大学生,直接效应对公我意识水平低的大学生更显著;（4）自尊对社交焦虑的作用还受到个体私我意识的调节,相对于私我意识水平低的大学生,间接效应对于私我意识水平高的大学生更显著。     

Turkish Version of Self-Reflection and Insight Scale: A Preliminary Study for Validity and Reliability of the Constructs

The current study aims to explore the validity and reliability characteristics of the self-reflection and insight scale originally developed by Grant et al. (Soc Behav Pers 30(8):821–836, 2002). The study includes two convenience samples, comprising a total of 659 university students. The test–retest reliability study was carried out in a private university in Istanbul. The validity study was carried out in a state university that is located in Samsun, a city in the black sea region of Turkey. Both schools recruit students coming from various regions in Turkey. The results revealed a 10-item scale as a better fit compared to the original 20-item scale. The presence of both subfactors self-reflection and insight were confirmed. The Cronbach’s alpha for the whole scale was .70, .80 for the self-reflection and .65 for the insight subscales. The convergent and discriminant validity analyses revealed a negative relationship between private self-consciousness and insight scores, positive relationship between self-reflection and social anxiety plus external locus of control. There was no significant relationship between private self-consciousness and self-reflection scores. A negative relationship was found between insight and public self-consciousness, a positive relationship between mindfulness and insight scores, and finally a nonsignificant relationship between narcissism and insight scores.     

Self-consciousness,evaluation of physical characteristics,and physical attractiveness

Results from an investigation of the relationship between habitual awareness of oneself as a social object (Public self-consciousness) and speed of processing information about the overt self are reported. Since high public self-consciousness subjects report themselves to be concerned about their physical appearance, they were expected to have more readily retrievable evaluative judgments concerning their physical characteristics. Consistent with this prediction, high compared to low public consciousness subjects required significantly less time to report their evaluations of eleven of their physical features. In a second study, high public self-consciousness was shown to be positively related to judged physical attractiveness in two geographically diverse samples. The quicker evaluations of the high public self-consciousness group were discussed in terms of information processing model recently described by Markus (1977).     

Perfectionism, self-consciousness and anxiety

The relation between perfectionism, anxiety, and self-consciousness was studied in a normal sample. The perfectionism dimensions of Concern over Mistakes, Doubts about Action, and Socially Prescribed Perfectionism showed a pattern of correlations not only with measures of social anxiety, but also with measures of agoraphobic fears, and fears of bodily injury, death and illness. Public self-consciousness also correlated with various measures of anxiety, but these correlations disappeared when the relevant dimensions of perfectionism were controlled for. It is concluded that perfectionism is a more relevant construct in the study of anxiety than is public self-consciousness. The results are discussed in terms of possible causal relationships between perfectionism and anxiety.     

State of the Art

The relationship between public and private self-consciousness and self-report questionnaires, clinician ratings, and various measures derived from an individualized simulation of an anxiety-provoking situation was examined in a sample of men and women seeking treatment for social phobia. As predicted, public, not private, self-consciousness was generally related to self-report and naive observer ratings of anxiety and to behavioral disruption during the simulation. The predicted relationship between public self-consciousness and how accurately subjects evaluated their performance in the anxiety-provoking situation was marginally supported. Hypotheses regarding the relationship between private self-consciousness and self-reported anxiety during an anxiety-provoking situation, and between private self-consciousness and the correspondence between physiological assessment and self-report, were not supported. The discussion focuses on methodological issues and the theoretical implications of the relationship between self-consciousness and social anxiety.     

Self-consciousness, self-awareness, and justice in reward allocation

To what extent can self-awareness affect behavior in justice-related situations? The present study investigated the impact of both chronic levels (public and private self-consciousness), and experimentally induced self-awareness on responsiveness to concurrently operative hut opposing standards of justice in an allocation of pay situation. Subjects were exposed to an externally based (equity) standard and an internally based (equality) standard before dividing pay between themselves and a coworker. The results indicated that high public, low private self-consciousness persons conformed to the external standard by allocating equitably; high private, low public individuals confirmed to the internal standard by allocating equally. Further, subjects who divided their pay in the presence of a mirror allocated most equitably, followed by those whose allocations were made public, while those allocating in private allocated most equally. These latter results were discussed in terms of Wicklund and Hormuth's (1981) vs. Hull and Levy's (1979) conception of self-awareness phenomena. Finally, the importance of the self as a source for evaluating differing criteria of justice was discussed.     

Shame, self-consciousness, and locus of control in people who stutter

Stuttering is a multidimensional disorder, including psychological as well as physiological elements. This investigation of the value of 3 psychological constructs (shame, self-consciousness, and locus of control) in the prediction of 3 self-reported behavioral dimensions of stuttering (struggle, avoidance, and expectancy) revealed shame and self-consciousness to be significant psychological predictors of the selected dimensions of stuttering, whereas locus of control was found not to be. Certain demographic elements, including affiliations with others who stutter, were also determined to be predictive of the stuttering dimensions. The present findings and their implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

Shame,Self-Consciousness,and Locus of Control in People Who Stutter

Stuttering is a multidimensional disorder, including psychological as well as physiological elements. This investigation of the value of 3 psychological constructs (shame, self-consciousness, and locus of control) in the prediction of 3 self-reported behavioral dimensions of stuttering (struggle, avoidance, and expectancy) revealed shame and self-consciousness to be significant psychological predictors of the selected dimensions of stuttering, whereas locus of control was found not to be. Certain demographic elements, including affiliations with others who stutter, were also determined to be predictive of the stuttering dimensions. The present findings and their implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

Digital daydreaming: Introducing the spontaneous smartphone checking scale

Smartphones are a ubiquitous part of many people's lives, but little is known about their impact on everyday thought processes. Here we introduce the spontaneous smartphone checking scale (SSCS)—which measures the tendency to direct attention toward one's smartphone, unpreceded by external prompts (e.g., notifications, or alerts) and with no specific conscious goal in mind, as a parallel to mind-wandering directed toward internal thoughts. The SSCS showed good psychometric properties and construct validity. It separated from measures of daydreaming and mind-wandering by not loading on dimensions related to self-consciousness, reflection, and rumination, but instead loading highly on a factor associated with other aspects of digital communication and concerns about public appearance on social media. This suggests that spontaneous smartphone checking serves different mental and social functions than internally generated spontaneous thought processes. We discuss possible long-term effects of spontaneous smartphone checking taking up time for internally generated spontaneous thoughts.     

The Interacting Effects of Accountability and Individual Differences on Rater Response to a Performance-Rating Task

We examine the effects of conscientiousness and public self-consciousness in moderating responses to accountability for 137 participants took part in a managerial simulation over a 2-week period. In addition to responding to complex information and decision tasks, participants observed 48 vignettes depicting individual performance for four subordinates on three performance dimensions and subsequently rated that performance. Results show that participants higher in conscientiousness and public self-consciousness perceived a greater need to justify their decisions than those lower in the trait. Public self-consciousness also moderated the relationship between perceived need to justify the rating and participant anxiety about that justification requirement. Subsequent tests of mediation using structural equation modeling found support for partial mediating models and overall model fit improved when personality was considered.     

A modification of the Fenigstein, Scheier, and Buss Self-Consciousness Scales

Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to examine the structure of the Fenigstein, Scheier, and Buss (1975) Self-consciousness Scales. Several weaknesses were identified and modifications were made to improve the representation of the underlying structure of the data. Five items were found to be relatively unreliable and were dropped. Two separate but correlated private self-consciousness dimensions, self-reflectiveness and internal state awareness, were identified. The resulting four-factor self-consciousness model fit the data more adequately than the three-factor model of Fenigstein et al.     

大学生网络交往与网络利他行为的关系:自尊与公我意识的作用

以湖北湖南三所高校大一至大四416名全日制大学生为被试,采用《大学生网络交往行为量表》、《自尊量表》、《公我意识量表》和《大学生网络利他行为量表》,对大学生的网络交往、自尊、公我意识以及网络利他行为的情况进行调查,探讨自尊是否在网络交往和网络利他行为之间起中介作用,以及这个过程是否受到公我意识的调节。结果显示：（1）网络交往对网络利他行为具有正向预测作用;（2）自尊在网络交往和网络利他行为间起部分中介作用;（3）自尊的中介效应受到公我意识的调节,即在高公我意识水平下,自尊能正向影响个体的网络利他行为;在低公我意识水平下,自尊对网络利他行为的影响不显著。研究结果有助于揭示大学生网络利他行为的形成机制,对大学生网络利他行为的干预有一定的启示意义。     

Shyness and PublicSelf-Consciousness: Additive orInteractive Relation withSocial Interaction?

Shy people are characterized as engaging in self-derogatory thinking leading to anxiousness and inhibition, while people who are publicly self-conscious are focused on the impression they create on others. In addition, public self-consciousness has been described as an antecedent of shyness. In the present research, we tested additive versus interactive hypotheses about the association of shyness and public self-consciousness with dysfunctional social interaction. Undergraduate men varying in shyness and public self-consciousness engaged in a conversation with an unfamiliar woman confederate. Following the conversation, subjects completed self-report measures focusing on their responses during the conversation. Only main effects for shyness and public self-consciousness were found, supporting an additive hypothesis. Shyness was related to all dependent variables reflecting a negative self-bias, while public self-consciousness was not. In particular, shyness was inversely related to the balance of subjects' positive and negative thoughts and to reported use of protective as well as avoidance of acquisitive self-presentation responses. Public self-consciousness was positively related to use of protective self-presentation responses but unrelated to acquisitive responses.     

Perfectionism and self-consciousness in social phobia and panic disorder with agoraphobia.

Social phobics were compared to patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia and normal controls on perfectionism and self-consciousness. On concern over mistakes and doubts about action, social phobics scored higher than patients with panic disorder. Social phobics also demonstrated a higher level of public self-consciousness than patients with panic disorder and when this difference was controlled for the significant differences on perfectionism disappeared. Within each patient group, however, perfectionism was more robustly related to social anxiety than was public self-consciousness, which replicates the findings of Saboonchi and Lundh [Saboonchi, F. & Lundh, L. G. (1997). Perfectionism, self-consciousness and anxiety. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 921-928.] from a non-clinical sample. The results are discussed in terms of public self-consciousness being a differentiating characteristic of the more severe kind of social anxiety which is typical of social phobia.     

Decision Theory and the Sale of Alcohol1

Two studies examined the role of representativeness in determining the legal age of customers seeking to purchase alcohol. In Study 1, subjects were presented with a series of common grocery products along with an alcoholic beverage and a shopper. Results indicated that products which cued an older consumer produced higher age estimates of the shopper and decreased the likelihood that they would be asked to provide proof of legal age. Study 2 extended these findings in two important ways: (a) The target was presented as either a college student or parent and (b) individual differences in self-consciousness were related to susceptibility to manipulations of representativeness. Results indicated that the parent/student manipulation affected both the decision to request identification and age estimates of the target. Age estimations were positively related to individual differences in public self-consciousness, whereas the decision to request identification depended upon individual levels of social anxiety and private self-consciousness. Implications of these data for restricting access to alcohol among minors are considered.