Self-Focusing Effects on Self-Consciousness

Abstract

Recenr research has suggested an important distinction between private and public aspects of the self ( 1 ) . One distinction is between Private and Public Self-consciousness-the extent to which people are habitually attentive to private and public self-aspects ( 2 ) . Many studies have confirmed the importance of this private-public distinction in affecting self-functioning ( 1 ) . Related to this work on trai! self-consciousness is research on stdes of self-awareness ( 1 ) . It has been suggested that use of a mirror for selfreflection induces a state of Private self-awareness whereas devices such as video cameras induce a state of Public self-awareness ( 1 ) . However, the induction of Private and Public self-awareness by mirrors and video cameras has not been based on any direct measure of self-aware states. Rather, the evidence is inferential, based on similarities between the effects of mirror and camera and the effects of Private and Public selfconsciousness on behaviors such as compliance and reactance (1) . The present study attempts to provide more direct evidence by examining the effects of mirror and camera self-focusing on measures of self-consciousness. College students (27 male and 27 female), aged 18 to 25 yr., completed the Fenigstein Self-consciousness scales under one of three conditions. In the normal condition, subjects were left alone in a room devoid of self-focusing devices. In the mirror condition, the situation was identical except for a mirror in which subjects could see their heads and shoulders. To reduce demand cues, a note stuck on the mirror indicated it was being stored for a different experimenter. In the camera condition, a video camera was trained on subjects whose image was shown on a T V screen located behind chem. It was explained that another researcher wanted videotapes of people doing tests to show on a psychometrics course. Analysis of questionnaire responses indicated that the mirror and camera manipulations had no significant effect on Private or Public Self-consciousness (Fs < 1.00). The Private scores were: M = 26.7, S D = 6.3 for Normal, M = 26.1, SD = 7.3 for Mirror, M = 25.9, SD = 6.4 for Camera. The Public scores were: M = 19.7, SD = 4.6 for Normal, M = 18.2, SD = 3.4 for Mirror, M = 18.8, SD = 3.9 for Camera. These results might be seen as evidence that mirror and camera self-focusing do not in fact induce states of Private and Public self-awareness. However, it could clearly be argued that the null findings reflect inappropriate use of trait self-consciousness as an index of self-aware states, since the former is a chronic trait disposition unlikely to be influenced by temporary manipulations of state.