An Exploration of Personal Assumptions About Self-Construction and Self-Discovery

The present research explored the role personal assumptions about self-construction and self-discovery play in how meaningful and purposive people perceive their identity commitments and lives to be. In two studies, endorsement of self-constructivist assumptions was positively associated with life meaning, purposive identity commitments, and self-regulation. In Study 1, self-discovery assumptions were positively correlated with purposive identity commitments and intuitive processing, but only after the effects associated with self-constructive assumptions were controlled. These findings, however, were not replicated in Study 2. The results are discussed in terms of the role that personal assumptions and self-theories may play in identity formation. The need to examine other self-assumptions that people may hold is considered.