Self-consciousness and aspects of identity

This study investigated the relationship between public and private self-consciousness and social and personal aspects of identity. As predicted by self-consciousness theory, public self-consciousness correlated significantly more strongly with social than with personal aspects of identity, and private self-consciousness correlated significantly more strongly with personal than with social aspects of identity. Implications for the psychology of identity are discussed.     

Two kinds of identity crisis

In order to outline a model of identity crisis, it is necessary to distinguish two types. In an identity deficit ("motivation crisis"), the individual experiences a lack of guiding commitments but struggles to establish personal goals and values. In an identity conflict ("legitimation crisis"), the person has several commitments which prescribe conflicting behavioral imperatives in some situations, such that at least one commitment may have to be betrayed. The literature on identity crisis is reviewed in connection with this distinction, and an attempt is made to delineate the causes, the subjective experiences, behavioral consequences, and modes of resolution of each type of crisis.     

On some structural aspects of physical problems

Bachelard's concept of the problématique is used in order to classify physical problems and their interrelations. This classification is effectuated along two dimensions. Along the horizontal dimension, physical problems are divided into the kinds that the different modes of physics' development define. These modes are themselves determined by the interplay among the conceptual system, the object and the experimentation transactions specific to physics. Along the vertical dimension, physical problems are classified according to the different stages of maturation they have to undergo before the process of their solution is effectively undertaken. To determine these maturation stages, the Althusserian conception of ideology is used. The interrelations between physical problems are examined through the introduction and elaboration of the notion interdependence network.It is a pleasure to thank Marcello Pera and Kostas Gavroglou for their very helpful comments and criticisms.     

Relational aspects of identity: late adolescents' perceptions of their relationships with parents

This study examines the relationship between late adolescents' identity status and their memories of their relationships to their parents. One hundred male and female undergraduates completed two questionnaires. The first assessed subjects' retrospective perceptions of their affective relationships with parents across five age periods: 1 to 5 years, 5 to 10 years, 10 to 15 years, 15 to 20 years, and the present. The second questionnaire, the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status, assessed subjects' current identity status. Trend analyses revealed: (1) a significant quadratic trend in identity committed subjects' ratings of the amount of love they felt for mother across the five age periods, and (2) a significant linear trend of increasing love from mother. In contrast, uncommitted subjects showed significant linear trends of decreasing love both for and from their mothers. Results are interpreted as evidence of the importance of resolution of identity issues to the establishment of feelings of intimacy between late adolescents and their parents.     

Forgetting by remembering: Stereotype inhibition through rehearsal of alternative aspects of identity

We applied previous research on retrieval-induced forgetting to the issue of stereotype inhibition. All participants learned about a target person who belonged to a stereotyped group, and then practiced retrieving a subset of the target’s characteristics. When participants practiced individuating information about the target, they showed inhibited memory for the target’s stereotypic traits. When participants practiced stereotypic information about the target, they showed inhibited memory for: (a) traits associated with another stereotyped aspect of the target’s identity; (b) individuating traits of the target; and (c) other, unpracticed traits of the target associated with the same stereotype. Stereotype belief moderated these inhibition effects; the more strongly participants believed in the stereotype, the less inhibition of stereotype-relevant traits they showed.     

Exploring temporal aspects of social identity: the concept of possible social identities

In the social identity model of reactions to negative social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979, 1986), the concept of cognitive alternatives focuses on individual and group perceptions of the possibility of changing group memberships or improving existing ones. In the current paper, the under-researched concept of cognitive alternatives is expanded so as to better encompass issues relating to the temporal dimension of social identity maintenance. Markus and Nurius' (1986) possible selves perspective is used as a starting point for exploring the manner in which social identity maintenance is influenced by cognitions about, and social representations of, a group's past and possible future. It is proposed that the concept of cognitive alternatives be expanded to incorporate possible social identities, which represent individual and shared cognitions about possible past group memberships, possible future group memberships, and perceptions of the possible past and future for current group memberships. The consequences of perceiving positive and negative possible social identities are examined, and methodological issues which might facilitate their empirical study addressed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

See your friends close and your enemies closer: social identity and identity threat shape the representation of physical distance

Three studies demonstrated that collective identity and identity threat shape representations of the physical world. In Study 1, New York Yankees fans estimated Fenway Park, the stadium of a threatening out-group (but not Camden Yards, the stadium of a neutral out-group) to be closer than did non-Yankees fans. In Study 2, the authors manipulated identity threat among people affiliated (or not) with New York University (NYU). When Columbia University was portrayed as threatening to NYU, NYU affiliates estimated Columbia as closer than did non-affiliates, compared with when Columbia was nonthreatening. In Study 3, Americans who perceived more symbolic threats from Mexican immigration estimated Mexico City as closer. Collective identification with the in-group moderated effects of threat on distance estimations. These studies suggest that social categorization, collective identification, and identity threat work in concert to shape the representations of the physical world.     

Correlation of physical and psychological aspects in alcohol and drug dependence

Dependence to alcohol and drug must be consistently viewed as the consequence of a combination of physical and psychological elements. This is substantiated both philosophically and by taking issue with dualist concepts as well as those which absolutize the psychological aspect. The medical definition of dependence as an illness should be adhered to, whilst at the same time recognizing that psychological and social factors play a determining role.     

Decomposing identity: differential relationships between several aspects of ethnic identity and the negative effects of perceived discrimination among First Nations adults in Canada

The present investigation examined the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among First Nations adults in Canada (N = 220). It was considered that specific aspects of ethnic identity (in-group affect, centrality, in-group ties) could serve as resilience and/or vulnerability factors. Whereas in-group affect (positive feelings regarding one's group) was directly associated with decreased depressive symptoms and buffered against perceived discrimination, high levels of centrality (salience of group membership) was associated with increased symptomatology and intensified the relation between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. In-group ties (connection to other group members) buffered against perceived discrimination, although this protective effect only applied for males. The data underscore the importance of examining different aspects of identity and gender differences in determining the role of ethnic identity in the well-being of minority populations.     

The role of physical identity of the sample and correct comparison stimulus in matching-to-sample paradigms

Pigeons were trained in a higher-order conditional discrimination paradigm to assess the role of physical identity in a within-subjects design. A line orientation which was super-imposed on all response keys signalled whether a response to the matching color or a response to the nonmatching color was correct. Following training under this paradigm, stimulus control gradients were obtained by varying the angularity of the lines. Orderly gradients of stimulus control were obtained and no bias toward or away from the physically identical comparison stimulus was observed. The data were interpreted as indicating that the pigeons acquired a discrimination for each specific stimulus configuration or a set of specific stimulus-response chains based on compound stimuli in which physical identity played no special role.     

The relationship of social support to physical and psychological aspects of AIDS

Abstract

This study explored the social support networks of 50 homosexual males with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Data gathered by self report questionnaires and medical records included diagnosis, number of medical symptoms, sociodemographics, extensive information about social support networks, mood state and physical health status. Variables associated with good psychological and physical adaptation included satisfaction with support, instrumental support and emotional support. Results of this study conflict with previous studies in that worse physical condition was not positively associated with satisfaction with support, was related to less instrumental support and was not associated with increased quantitative support. The measures of satisfaction with support, instrumental support and emotional support were all quite high, even though network size was small.     

Different aspects of anxiety as predictors of post-operative anxiety and physical complaints

Previous studies have suggested that pre-operative anxiety consists of different aspects each with its own specific influence on post-operative state. This study investigated the influence of different aspects of transient anxiety i.e. state anxiety, specific anxiety, tension, observed anxiety and the amount of thinking about surgery, on post-operative anxiety and physical complaints in 126 patients undergoing lumbar surgery. Results showed that pre-operative state anxiety, specific anxiety, tension and observed anxiety each contributed uniquely to the prediction of post-operative anxiety after control for age, sex and medical variables. Tension showed a negative contribution, indicating that, when the effects of other anxiety aspects were removed, patients with high tension showed less post-operative anxiety than patients with low tension. The three other anxiety variables showed a positive contribution. Regarding postoperative physical complaints, only specific anxiety showed a positive significant contribution to the prediction. Results will be discussed in relation to the adaptation to surgery and to Janis' theory that experiencing moderate levels of anxiety is beneficial for recovery.     

Personal identity is social identity

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences - The question of the identity or persistence of the self through time may be interesting for philosophers, but it is hardly a burning question for most...     

Homophobia in physical education and sport: The role of physical/sporting identity and attributes,authoritarian aggression,and social dominance orientation

We examined levels of, and reasons for, anti‐gay and anti‐lesbian prejudice (homophobia) in pre‐service physical education (PE) and non‐physical education (non‐PE) university students. Participants (N = 409; 66% female; N = 199 pre‐service physical educators) completed questionnaires assessing anti‐gay and lesbian prejudice, authoritarianism, social dominance orientation (SDO), physical/athletic identity and self‐concept, and physical attributes. ANCOVAs revealed that PE students had higher levels of anti‐gay (p = .004) and lesbian prejudice than non‐PE students (p = .008), respectively. Males reported greater anti‐gay prejudice (p < .001), but not anti‐lesbian prejudice, than females. Authoritarian aggression was positively associated with greater anti‐gay (β = .49) and lesbian prejudice (β = .37) among male participants. Among females, higher authoritarian aggression and SDO was associated with greater anti‐gay (β = .34 and β = .25, respectively) and lesbian (β = .26 and β = .16, respectively) prejudice. The physical identity‐related constructs of athletic self‐concept (β = .?15) and perceived upper body strength (β = .39) were associated with anti‐gay attitudes among male participants. Physical attractiveness (β = ?.29) and upper body strength (β = .29) were also associated with male participants’ anti‐lesbian prejudice. Regression analyses showed that the differences between PE and non‐PE students in anti‐gay and lesbian prejudice were largely mediated by authoritarianism and SDO. The present study is the first to examine the relationship between investment in physical/sporting identity and attributes and anti‐gay and lesbian prejudice in PE/sport participants. In the present sample, anti‐gay and lesbian prejudice was greater in pre‐service PE students than non‐PE students, but these differences appear to be explained by differences in conservative ideological traits. Additionally, physical identity and athletic attributes based around masculine ideals also appear to contribute to this prejudice in males.     

Ethnic/cultural identity salience,achievement goals and motivational climate in multicultural physical education classes

ObjectivesThis study investigated the association of ethnic/cultural identity salience with achievement goals and motivational climate in multicultural physical education classes.MethodsQuestionnaires assessing ethnic/cultural identity salience, achievement goals and motivational climate were completed by high school students with Greek (n = 927) and non-Greek (n = 366) ethnic origin. The ethnic/cultural identity salience questionnaire comprised four factors suggesting ethnic belonging, assimilation, feelings of being on the fringe of ethnic identity, and lack of desire to interact with members of other ethnic groups.ResultsMultilevel modeling analyses indicated that task orientation and class learning oriented climate were positively linked with ethnic belonging and assimilation from the larger culture. On the other hand, ego orientation and class performance oriented climates were positively associated with feelings of being on the fringe of ethnic identity, and with lack of desire to interact with members of other ethnic groups.ConclusionsThe present findings encourage the conduct of intervention studies emphasizing task orientation and decreasing ego orientation to promote mutual respect among ethnicities and acculturation from the larger culture.     

Two studies of personality: male graduate students in physical education.

In Study I, scores for 100 male graduate students in physical education were compared to the norms for the general population on the 1962 16 PF test: Ss were higher in Intelligence, Ego-strength, Dominance, and Tenseness, and lower on Imaginativeness, Shrewdness, and Self-sufficiency. Centiles derived from the raw scores deviated markedly only on Intelligence, Dominance, and Shrewdness. In Study II, scores of 96 similar Ss were compared to the norms for the 1970 16 PF test; Ss were higher on Intelligence, Dominance, Enthusiasm, and Tenseness, and lower on Imaginativeness, Shrewdness, Apprehensiveness, and Radicalness. No marked centile deviations were found.