Self-concept Clarity Research Articles

Prospective associations among self-concept clarity, appearance comparisons, and thin-ideal internalization

ABSTRACT This study examined the prospective association between self-concept clarity and sociocultural appearance processes (internalization of the thin-body ideal and appearance-based social comparisons). Adolescent girls (n = 153; mean age = 15.76 years) completed measures at two separate timepoints, three months apart. Path analysis showed that lower self-concept clarity prospectively predicted higher thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons. In contrast, the reverse model showed that thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons did not prospectively predict self-concept clarity. Finally, including self-esteem in the model showed that self-concept clarity, but not self-esteem, prospectively predicted thin-ideal internalization and appearance comparisons. These findings suggest that low self-concept clarity may increase vulnerability to sociocultural appearance processes that increase the risk for body dissatisfaction.

A French-Language Web-Based Intervention Targeting Prolonged Grief Symptoms in People Who Are Bereaved and Separated: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Losing a loved one, through death or separation, counts among the most stressful life events and is detrimental to health and well-being. About 15% of people show clinically significant difficulties coping with such an event. Web-based interventions (WBIs) are effective for a variety of mental health disorders, including prolonged grief. However, no validated WBI is available in French for treating prolonged grief symptoms. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and adherence rates of 2 WBIs for prolonged grief symptoms following the loss of a loved one through death or romantic separation. LIVIA 2.0 was developed relying on theoretical and empirical findings on bereavement processes and WBIs, and is compared with LIVIA 1, which has already demonstrated its efficacy. We conducted a randomized controlled trial and provided on-demand guidance to participants. Outcomes were assessed through web-based questionnaires before the intervention, after the intervention (12 weeks later), and at follow-up (24 weeks later). Primary outcomes were grief symptoms, depressive symptoms, and well-being. Secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms, grief coping strategies, aspects related to self-identity, and program satisfaction. In total, 62 participants were randomized (intent-to-treat [ITT] sample), 29 (47%) in LIVIA 2.0 (active arm) and 33 (53%) in LIVIA 1 (control arm). The dropout rate was 40% (37/62), and 10 participants were removed due to exclusion criteria, leading to a final per-protocol sample of 27 (44%) completers who differed from noncompleters only based on reporting fewer anxiety symptoms (t60=3.03; P=.004). Participants who are separated reported more grief symptoms (t60=2.22; P=.03) and attachment anxiety (t60=2.26; P=.03), compared to participants who are bereaved. There were pre-post within-group differences for both programs in the ITT sample, with significant reductions in grief (Cohen d=-0.90), depressive symptoms (Cohen d=-0.31), and centrality of the loss (Cohen d=-0.45). The same pattern was observed in the per-protocol sample, with the exception that anxiety symptoms also significantly diminished (Cohen d=-0.45). No difference was found in efficacy between the 2 programs (all P>.33). Participants (ITT sample) reported overall high levels of program satisfaction (mean 3.18, SD 0.54; over a maximum of 4). Effect stability was confirmed at the 6-month follow-up for all outcomes, with an improvement in self-concept clarity. The 2 grief-related WBIs were effective in reducing grief, depressive and anxiety symptoms for participants who are bereaved or separated. The analyses did not reveal any pre-post between-group differences, suggesting that the innovations brought to LIVIA 2.0 did not significantly affect the outcome. However, caution is warranted with the interpretation of the results given the limited power of the sample, which only allows the detection of medium effect sizes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05219760; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05219760. RR2-10.2196/39026.

Parenting attitude and self-concept of fathers having adolescent

Background: Parents play a unique role in child-rearing. Though the mother plays a vital role, no one can replace a father's contribution to rearing a child. The purpose of this study was to see whether fathers' self-concept was associated with their parental attitudes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted during the period from January to December 2021. A total of 188 fathers having at least one adolescent were selected from selected rural areas of the Jashore district in Bangladesh. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire and using convenient sampling technique. The behavioral qualities of the fathers were measured using a variety of scales, including the attitude toward parenthood scale, Campbell's self-concept clarity scale. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyze the data in accordance with the study's objectives. Before data collection, informed consent was taken, and ethical concerns were addressed at different stages of the study. Results: The findings revealed that the mean age of the fathers was 44.55±8.515 years and the highest frequency (59.6%) was in the age group 30-45 years. The study finding showed that 94.1% were Muslim and the main occupation of 41.5% of them was agriculture. Among the fathers, a large number had no formal education (33%), 38.8% completed their primary education. The mean working duration was 8.56±1.868 hours. The attitude towards parenthood scale had an average score of 6.45±0.512, mean self-concept score was 46.13±6.169. Fathers' parenting attitude were unaffected by their socio-demographic characteristics such as occupation (p = 0.329), monthly income (r = 0.046, p = 0.534), or expenditure (r = 0.033, p = 0.655), working duration (r = -0.117, p = 0.110). Fathers’ selfconcept was an important variable that showed a significant correlation with fathers' parenting attitude (r = 0.158, p = 0.031). The participating fathers' parenting attitudes did not exhibit substantial mean disparities between their educational status (p = 0.055) and their wives' educational status (p = 0.202). Conclusion: This study revealed that father with better self-concept had enhanced their adolescent care by involving in active parenting. JOPSOM 2023; 42(1):21-28

Unclearly immoral: Low self-concept clarity increases moral disengagement.

This research examines the effect of self-concept clarity (i.e., having self-beliefs that are clearly and confidently defined, internally consistent, and stable) on moral behavior. Seven preregistered studies (N = 3,373) document that low (vs. high) self-concept clarity decreases moral behavior (e.g., donation, volunteering, tax compliance, honesty in an incentivized game). This effect occurs because low self-concept clarity increases moral disengagement, leading people to behave in morally questionable manners without damaging their self-concept. As evidence for this proposed underlying mechanism, we show that the effect of self-concept clarity on moral behavior is mediated by state moral disengagement and attenuates (a) among people with low trait moral disengagement, (b) among people with high trait moral identity internalization, and (c) in the presence of an honor pledge cueing moral engagement. We then show that the effect holds only when a prosocial act is congruent with personal values. Overall, these findings contribute to the literature on self-concept and moral self-regulation and have implications for how to promote morality and curb unethical behavior in society. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Unclearly Immoral: Low Self-Concept Clarity Increases Moral Disengagement

Supplemental Material for Unclearly Immoral: Low Self-Concept Clarity Increases Moral Disengagement

Sojourning and Being Well Among Contemporary Chinese Gay Men in a Tourism Destination: An Extension of Dynamic Equilibrium Theory

This study proposes an extension of the dynamic equilibrium model to investigate the intrinsic mechanisms underlying the well-being experiences of Chinese gay tourists visiting Thailand. The enhanced model incorporates elements such as stock-challenge, flow-resource, and self-concept clarity, which illuminate the intrinsic dynamics of the inner well-being framework. Findings were derived from a video ethnography conducted collaboratively by researchers and participants. The results demonstrate that the impact of sojourning on well-being among gay Chinese travelers is influenced by their typical life and travel experiences, as well as the personalized meanings they associate with tourism and well-being. These responses are intricately shaped by their personal, social, and cultural contexts. This research provides rich insights into the holiday experiences and behaviors of contemporary Chinese gay adults, emphasizing the need for the development of tailored tourism policies and marketing strategies to cultivate gay-friendly destinations within the Asia region.

Investigating the Complexity of Cultural Identities in Globalizing Societies

Cultural identity has become increasingly important and complex within many contemporary globalized societies. Consequently, methodological development is needed to expand our conceptualization and measurement of (a) the formation and experiences of multiple nested cultural identities and (b) how such identities relate to psychosocial functioning. In the preregistered and experimental quantitative phase (Study 1), Danish participants ( n = 308) were divided into three subsamples completely at random and exposed to various priming regarding global events (i.e., COVID-19, war in Ukraine, or a control prompt not related to current events). Danish, European, and global cultural identities were all highly endorsed across our sample, and global identity was enhanced by priming related to the war in Ukraine as compared with the other two priming conditions. Danish cultural identity was positively associated with well-being (self-esteem and life satisfaction) both directly and indirectly through self-concept clarity, whereas European identity was negatively associated with self-concept clarity, and global identity was positively associated with self-esteem. In the qualitative phase (Study 2), with a selected subsample of the Study 1 sample ( n = 5), we conducted in-depth semistructured interviews to explore the experience of sociohistorically embedded cultural identities (i.e., shaped by a complex interplay of culture, language, and social practices) within the globalized context of Denmark. Results highlight ideographic understandings of cultural identities and how these identities are politically embedded and shaped through intercultural experiences and events. These results are discussed in terms of how multi-method approaches can enhance our understanding of contemporary complex cultural identities.

The relationship of self-concept clarity with perceived stress, general anxiety, and depression among young adults

The relationship of self-concept clarity with perceived stress, general anxiety, and depression among young adults

Escape from an unclear self: Escapism mediates the association that self-concept clarity has with psychological distress

We investigated whether the associations that self-concept clarity had with indicators of psychological distress were mediated by the forms of escapism referred to as self-suppression (engaging in activities in an effort to avoid unpleasant mental processes) and self-expansion (engaging in activities in order to experience growth). The indirect associations that self-concept clarity had with psychological distress through self-suppression and self-expansion were examined in college students (Study 1; N = 270), Cosplayers (Study 2; N = 45), and Furries (Study 3; N = 191). Across these three studies, self-concept clarity had very large associations with psychological distress and negative associations with self-suppression that ranged from small to large in magnitude. Further, engaging in activities for the purpose of self-suppression mediated the associations that self-concept clarity had with various indicators of psychological distress with the most consistent associations emerging for depression. In contrast, self-concept clarity did not have consistent associations with the motivation to engage in activities for the purpose of self-expansion nor did self-expansion consistently mediate the associations that self-concept clarity had with the indicators of psychological distress. These findings indicate that engaging in activities for the purpose of self-suppression may play an important role in the link between low self-concept clarity and psychological distress.

The Effect of Self-concept Clarity on Parenting Anxiety of Parents with Infants and Children: Mediating effect of Materialism and Social comparison

The Effect of Self-concept Clarity on Parenting Anxiety of Parents with Infants and Children: Mediating effect of Materialism and Social comparison

The Negative Effects of SNS Body Image Posting on Female University Students: Difference between the Self-concept Clarity groups

The Negative Effects of SNS Body Image Posting on Female University Students: Difference between the Self-concept Clarity groups

Short-video applications use and self-concept clarity among adolescents: The mediating roles of flow and social media self-expansion

Recently, the usage of short-video applications (apps) has become widespread and the potential influence of short-video apps use on individuals has attracted the attention of researchers. However, few studies have explored the influence of short-video apps use on adolescents' self-concept clarity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity among adolescents and whether this relationship is mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. A total of 721 Chinese adolescents completed questionnaires on intensity of short-video apps use, flow, social media self-expansion, self-concept clarity, and SNS use intensity. The results revealed that short-video apps use was negatively related to self-concept clarity among adolescents. Flow mediated the association between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity. Moreover, the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity was sequentially mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. These findings offer new insights into our understanding of adolescents' self-development in the context of digital media and provide implications for fostering healthier online experiences among adolescents.

The relationships between multiple facets of self-concept clarity and depression

ABSTRACT Previous studies report low self-concept clarity in depression, but they are limited to nonclinical samples and self-report questionnaires. To comprehensively understand the relationship between self-concept clarity and depression, this study expanded the range of depression to include clinical samples and explored self-concept clarity through a behavioral task. In Study 1, the self-concept clarity scale was administered to 48 nonclinical and 53 clinical participants, and the quadratic model best explained the relationship. In Study 2, 24 undergraduates and 21 depressed patients completed the me/not-me task. Shorter reaction time and greater internal consistency of negative self-descriptive words were associated with higher depression severity. The results suggest that a certain and consistent negative self-view relates to more severe depression.

How does engagement on social media reinforce life aesthetic literacy? The role of interpersonal and intrapersonal influences

With the proliferation of social media, researchers have begun exploring novel forms of literacy. One emerging concept is life aesthetic literacy (LAL), or the capacity to interpret and assign meaning to artistic and creative content perceptively. This study explores the impact of LAL on social media platforms. To do so, it draws on probability-proportional-to-size sampling in the Taiwan Communication Survey to investigate 1,776 social media–savvy adults and adopts structural equation modeling, path analysis, latent class analysis, and multi-group analysis to validate the proposed models. The findings show that increased exposure to and involvement with artistic material on social media platforms positively influence LAL. Furthermore, enhanced LAL extends to improved perceived self-expansion and self-concept clarity. These findings provide empirical evidence that social media use has a multifaceted impact on contemporary literacy and self-perception. The findings provide practical guidelines for platforms to cultivate LAL through tailored content and engagement strategies.

The relationship between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness in middle school students: a chain mediating model of self-concept clarity and cognition reappraisal.

To determine the relationship between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness and its mechanism in light of the interdependence and schema theories. The Chinese version of the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-student, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Self-Concept Clarity Scale and The Social Mindfulness Self-report Scale (SMSRS) were distributed to 553 middle school students. (1) The correlations of school bullying victimization with social mindfulness, self-concept clarity, and cognition reappraisal were statistically significant. (2) School bullying victimization had a significant effect on social mindfulness. (3) The simple mediating role of self-concept clarity and cognition reappraisal between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness were significant. (4) Self-concept clarity and cognition reappraisal played a chain mediating role between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness.

The correlates of appearance focused self-concept: personality traits, self-concept, sociocultural, and early life experience factors

BackgroundTheory and research indicate that an appearance focused self-concept (i.e., placing overriding importance on physical appearance for self-definition and self-worth) plays a role in the etiology and maintenance of disordered eating and eating disorders. Although the consequences of an appearance focused self-concept are palpable, less is known about its correlates. Accordingly, we examined a range of factors that may characterize appearance focused people, including personality traits (perfectionism, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, hopelessness, and anxiety sensitivity), self-concept (global self-esteem and self-concept clarity), sociocultural (thin-ideal, muscular-ideal, general attractiveness internalizations, and perceived pressure to be thin), and early life experiences (adverse childhood experiences, attachment styles) factors.MethodsFemale undergraduate university students (N = 568; Mage = 19.58, SDage = 4.24) completed a questionnaire battery that included the Beliefs About Appearance Scale, Depressive Experiences Questionnaire–Self-Criticism-6 Scale, Frost-Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Revised Almost Perfect Scale, Substance Use Risk Profile Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Experiences in Close Relationships Scale Short Form, and the Dietary Restraint subscale of the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire.ResultsMultiple regression analyses were conducted for each set of factors separately and together. For personality traits, perfectionism, impulsivity, and anxiety sensitivity were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For self-concept, global self-esteem and self-concept clarity were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For sociocultural, general attractiveness internalization, thin-ideal internalization, and perceived pressure to be thin were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. For early life experiences, attachment anxiety and avoidance were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept. In the combined analysis, the various factors explained 54% of the variance in appearance focused self-concept. Impulsivity, global self-esteem, general attractiveness internalization, and perceived pressure to be thin were uniquely associated with appearance focused self-concept.ConclusionsResults for global self-esteem were consistent with prior research. Findings for evaluative concerns perfectionism were inconsistent with prior research. We discuss future research directions to examine the link between evaluative concerns perfectionism and appearance focused self-concept. We also discuss how sociocultural factors (general attractiveness internalization and perceived pressure to be thin) and impulsivity may help cultivate an appearance focused self-concept, advancing knowledge on the characteristics of appearance-focused people.

Who I am and who I want to be: The positive effect of self-concept clarity on purpose, life satisfaction, and personal meaning among Chinese and Indonesian emerging adults

BackgroundThe importance of self-concept clarity to oneself has been shown in prior studies among Western communities. However, few studies have investigated self-concept clarity and its outcomes cross-culturally in the Asian context. Therefore, we as-sessed self-concept clarity in relation to purpose in life, life satisfaction, and personal meaning among Chinese and Indone-sian samples.Participants and procedureThe survey participants were 248 Indonesian undergraduates and 311 Chinese, aged 18-25 years, recruited through conven-ience sampling. An online survey was distributed to universities in Hong Kong and in Indonesia in which all participants gave written informed consent. Reliability and confirmatory factor analyses of each scale were performed in each sample. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the invariance of the analysis of the data.ResultsThe findings of the study demonstrate a consistent and significant positive impact of self-concept clarity on purpose in life, which subsequently predicts life satisfaction and personal meaning in both groups. Interestingly, only in the Chinese sample did self-concept clarity exhibit a direct positive correlation with personal meaning. Meanwhile, in the Indonesian sample, there was no significant effect of self-concept clarity on meaningfulness. In other words, the Indonesian sample emphasizes the need to shape goals after achieving self-concept clarity to make a meaningful life.ConclusionsThis study highlights the importance of fostering self-concept clarity among students in both countries to shape their goals and aims for better well-being.

Self-concept Clarity and Meaning in Life: A Daily Diary Study in a Collectivistic Culture

Despite the theoretical significance of self-concept clarity in meaning in life in Western thinking, there has been limited empirical investigation in collectivistic cultures. Consequently, the mechanism and boundary conditions of this effect remain unknown in such cultural contexts. To address this gap, we employed a daily-diary method spanning a period of 10 days, which allowed us to examine both the between-person and within-person effects of self-concept clarity on meaning in life, as well as the mediating role of three precursors of meaning (i.e., coherence, purpose, and significance), and the moderating role of independent self-construal among 83 Chinese participants. Multilevel regressions analyses demonstrated that individuals with higher trait self-concept clarity perceived higher meaning in their daily lives (b = 0.28, SE = 0.08, p = .001); and on days when individuals experienced higher daily self-concept clarity than typical, their sense of meaning on that day also tended to be higher (b = 0.39, SE = 0.04, p < .001). Multilevel mediation models showed that at the between-person level, trait self-concept clarity predicted daily meaning through the mediation of significance only (b = 0.15, SE = 0.05, p = .002), while at the within-person level, daily self-concept clarity predicted daily meaning through all three precursors (0.03 < bs < 0.13, ps < .05). The effect of both trait and daily self-concept clarity were stronger among those with a low (vs. high) independent self-construal. Finally, there was a positive lagged effect of daily self-concept clarity on daily meaning (β = 0.12, SE = 0.05, p = .014). These findings highlight the importance of cultivating a clear self-concept for experiencing meaning in daily life, particularly for those with a low independent self-construal in a collectivistic culture.

Mobile phone addiction and emptiness among Chinese college students: the chain mediating role of attention control and self-concept clarity

Mobile phone addiction and emptiness among Chinese college students: the chain mediating role of attention control and self-concept clarity

Development of Self-Concept in Childhood and Adolescence: How Neuroscience Can Inform Theory and Vice Versa

How do we develop a stable and coherent self-concept in contemporary times? Susan Harter’s original work, &lt;i&gt;The Construction of Self&lt;/i&gt; (1999; 2012), argues that cognitive and social processes are building blocks for developing a coherent sense of self, resulting in self-concept clarity across various domains in life (e.g., [pro-]social, academic, and physical). Here, we show how this framework guides and can benefit from recent findings on (1) the prolonged and nonlinear structural brain development during childhood and adolescence, (2) insights from developmental neuroimaging studies using self-concept appraisal paradigms, (3) genetic and environmental influences on behavioral and neural correlates of self-concept development, and (4) youth’s perspectives on self-concept development in the context of 21st century global challenges. We examine how neuroscience can inform theory by testing several compelling questions related to stability versus change of neural, behavioral, and self-report measures and we reflect on the meaning of variability and change/growth.