Sense Of Self Research Articles

Constructing a Conformer–Explorer Identity in Pandemic Narratives: A Qualitative Study of Chinese Emerging Adults

Existing research indicates that social crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped young people’s sense of self, but little is known about what identities emerging adults construct in their pandemic narratives. Following propositions of narrative identity and Terror Management Theory, this qualitative study investigated Chinese emerging adults’ identity construction in their narratives of the national outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2022. Participants were 62 college students invited to share their pandemic experiences with reflections. Thematic analysis of the data suggests that the participants shared their pandemic experiences as a process of managing their death terror activated in the pandemic which threatened their sense of self and meanwhile motivated them to reconstruct who they are in the world. Based on their meaning-making capacities, the participants disclosed death awareness and vulnerabilities, adopted a temporal perspective in storytelling, emphasized their interpersonal and social connections, and made meaning out of the pandemic experiences to defend against death terror. As an outcome of their narration, a conformer–explorer identity was constructed in their pandemic narratives and we proposed a dialectical model to capture the dynamics of the construction. Although with limitations, this study contributes to our understanding of the functions of mortality salience on narrative identity among emerging adults in collectivist cultures during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning Teachers Navigating Identity Development Transitions: Identity Motives and Commitment to Teaching

Beginning teachers (preservice and novice) must develop a resilient professional identity, yet high early attrition rates indicate the need for additional support in this process. Many attrition studies focus on external factors; few address teacher identity. According to developmental psychologists, identity commitments are concretized in a stepwise process, first by tentatively making them, and then by evaluating them. Most preservice and novice teachers are in a transitional stage, as they explore whether tentative commitments fit their sense of self. Our research tests the proposition that such exploration is often focused on determining whether a teaching career will satisfy their identity motives. We interviewed and collected self-reported written stories from 154 interns and novice teachers. Participants discussed their career choice in an initial interview and in a questionnaire focusing on recent, identity-relevant significant events administered at three points in time over a year. These career choice and written, field-based significant event stories underwent content analysis for the presence of identity motives, guided by a codebook developed for this research. This paper describes two central and innovative findings. First, identity motives are, indeed, present and highly salient in teachers’ career deliberations. Secondly, we found that beginning teachers express motives differentially, vary in the salience they accord the motives, and explore motives differently according to situational context. This differentiation in focus may indicate important shifting priorities and challenges as participants navigate the transition to the field. Taken together, these findings suggest that understanding and addressing identity motives in teacher development may enable more personalized and responsive tools that support teacher retention.

From Setback to Growth: A Phenomenological Study of Psychometrician Exam Retakers

Licensure examinations serve as a critical gateway to professional practice, often creating significant stress and challenging experiences for those who fail and must retake them. This study explored how the experience of failing and retaking the psychometrician licensure examination impacted the self-concept of seven examinees from Region 1, Philippines. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis of online interviews, the research revealed that retaking the exam had profound and varied effects on their self-perception, ranging from restoring confidence to completely transforming their sense of self. This research highlights the often-overlooked experiences of licensure exam retakers and contributes to understanding the psychological impact of setbacks and perseverance on the path to success. By focusing on the lived experiences of these individuals, the study offers valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs faced by those striving to achieve professional licensure.

Self-Regulation of Internet Behaviors on Social Media Platforms

The current research sought a comprehensive understanding about the consequences of information-sharing behavior on social media, given public concerns about privacy violations. We used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the influence of the self on “revealing” and emotional “healing” experiences online. Respondents completed a survey measuring sense of self and motivations for using social media, as well as revealing and healing attitudes and behavior. We conducted a principal component factor analysis on separate parts of the survey and ran Pearson correlations of the emerging factors. Qualitative data describing experiences of online self-disclosure were used to illustrate the correlational findings. The “revealing” factors contrasted adaptive with maladaptive and naïve posting. The sense of self, as well as motivations for social media use, influenced whether users engaged in destructive posting behaviors. The “healing” factors were associated with positive motivations for self-disclosure, seeking a supportive online community, and building resilience. Correlational data revealed that respondents with an insecure or asocial sense of self felt the greater need for online self-disclosure. Motivations to self-disclose online and experiences of “healing”, with the help of a supportive online community, depended on whether the sense of self was secure, insecure, or asocial.

Much more than a biological phenomenon: A qualitative study of women's experiences of brain fog across their reproductive journey.

Whilst 'brain fog' is mostly considered a biological problem little is understood about an individual's experience. This qualitative study explored women's experiences of brain fog focusing on those at the start (aged 18-25; n = 10) and end (aged 45-60; n = 10) of their reproductive journey. Descriptive thematic analysis described three themes: (i) 'daily disruptions' describing cognitive dysfunctions and the main triggers; (ii) 'the cycle of impact' with a focus on women's emotional experiences and how these can exacerbate brain fog; (iii) 'taking control' highlighting the use of self-care, physical prompts and Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) to manage brain fog. Transcending these themes was the notion of 'crisis of identity' illustrating the negative impact of brain fog on the women's sense of self with some older women describing acceptance and finding it less challenging. Brain fog is much more than a biological phenomenon and has broader implications for a woman's sense of self.

The arts as a tool for identity development: how an arts-integrated writers’ workshop fostered sense of self and agency in disabled students / Las artes como herramienta para el desarrollo identitario: cómo un taller de escritura que integra las artes fomentó el autoconcepto y la agencia en estudiantes con discapacidad

This exploratory, qualitative case study examines the interplay between identity, arts integration and agency in an arts-integrated writing workshop for 10 disabled high school students in the United States. Participants were enrolled in a language arts classroom that offered a writers’ workshop every Tuesday for 16 weeks. Classroom observations, questionnaires, interviews and students’ artefacts provided insight into how the workshop served as a space for students to consider how to integrate their disability identity into their overall sense of self and the agency to choose when and how they wanted to share this part of themselves. This study expands upon current research by highlighting how arts integration equips disabled students with tools to cultivate a sense of self, develop agency and challenge normative discourse.

Exploring Consumer Participation in Brand Metaverse Communities, Focusing on the Metaverse Features—Fantasy Experiences and Self‐Expansion

ABSTRACTIn light of brands entering the metaverse, understanding consumer behavior in these virtual spaces becomes crucial. This study aims to explore how consumers' intentions to engage in building brand communities within the metaverse are influenced by their fantasy experiences in the brands' virtual stores where consumers are immersed in sensory‐rich, imaginative digital environments. By applying self‐expansion theory to brand–consumer relationships and the concept of temporarily expanding the boundary of the self through consumer metaverse experiences, this research examines the mediating role of self‐expansion in the relationship between fantasy experiences and brand community intentions. A total of 196 responses were collected among Zepeto users through consumer panels. Data were analyzed using AMOS 23.0 for confirmatory factor analysis and the Process macro in SPSS 23.0 for mediation and moderation analysis. Findings reveal direct positive effects of fantasy experiences on consumers' intentions to participate in metaverse brand communities. Users deeply engaged in the metaverse's fantasy experience could expand the sense of self, fostering active contributions to brand community activities. The study also investigates the influences of prior experiential activities in the metaverse, showing that prior engagement enhances the effects of fantasy experiences on self‐expansion. Among users with prior metaverse experiential activities, fantasy experiences exert more significant influences on self‐expansion, driving higher intentions to participate in brand communities.

Being a Husband and Caregiver: The Adjustment of Roles When Caring for a Wife Who Has Dementia.

As demographics and gender norms shift, more older men will be providing care for their wives living with dementia than ever before. Research on husbands as caregivers is limited and offers an incomplete picture of their role development and how they experience caregiving. This study examined husbands whose wives have dementia and how they provide care and construct their sense of self. Semi-structured interviews with 11 men aged 61-88 were conducted in Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using constant comparison analysis and a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach. Two categories were developed: Adapting to the Role of Caregiver and Staying a Husband. Caregiving as a husband for a wife living with dementia required revision of the role of husband to include that of caregiver by reimaging intimacy, being a protector in new ways, and finding new meanings to being a provider and the value of wealth.

‘It’s not just you come into the gym and do your weight training’: a narrative exploration of muscularity’s role as identity capital

The current study explored muscularity and weight training’s role as capital in people’s identities across various contexts. Eleven weight trainers from two gyms were interviewed (three females, eight males) about their desires for muscularity and the role it played in their lives. Thematic narrative analysis identified narratives that framed the individuals’ muscular desires, behaviours, and importance. Muscularity formed a versatile resource—identity capital—that was a key part of the individuals’ body projects. These body projects and identity capital facilitated the individuals’ identity performances in a range of contexts (e.g. occupation, gender). Three narratives emerged (individualist, illusionist, and promoter) that highlighted the intertwined tangible (e.g. leanness and strength) and intangible (e.g. control and self-empowerment) attributes associated with muscularity and weight training that facilitated successful identity performances. These narratives achieved goals of self-empowerment (Individualist), self-protection (Illusionist), or self-advertisement (Promoter) which enabled successful identity performances. The current findings advance existing literature by suggesting muscularity is a versatile form of identity capital that can facilitate multiple identities (e.g. occupation, gender) and contexts. The potential benefit to an individuals’ sense of self also highlights the positive effect of muscularity weight training as a tool for self-promotion and personal growth.

Tensions at the University and Living in Liminality: English Language Teachers Navigating through New Research Expectations

This study examined tensions affecting university English language teachers, and subsequently the liminal space they occupied. In this study, tensions arose because of the introduction and promotion of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) for conducting language pedagogical research. This move had inadvertently displaced existing research perspectives and approaches and compelled a reconfiguration of the teacher’s professional sense of self. There were four English language teachers involved in this study, all of whom were teaching different types of English courses for academic purposes in a public university in Singapore. Data for this study comprised reflections written by the participants, which were analyzed as case studies. Through the examination of tensions and liminality affecting the participants, it became apparent that distinct strategies and coping mechanisms were enacted. There were those who sought to distinguish existing research perspectives, and those who embarked on a productive journey to navigate through the new research requirement. All these constituted professional development for the participants in personalized ways. The examination of the case studies also indicated how top-down research endeavors may be challenged, especially in a field like English language education, given its long-standing and established research traditions. Yet, the circumstance which saw novel research approaches being introduced illustrate how the professional community of English language teachers in the higher education setting remain on the fringes of academia. Future studies should consider taking an ecological approach to examining tension to gain a more comprehensive understanding of English language teachers’ professional identity.

The Disappearance of the Body and The Problem of Abstraction in Platonic Thought

One of the most important aspects of Plato’s Republic is the formulation of an abstract and transcendent idea of the “Good.” Distinguishing himself from older, more esthetically oriented concepts of goodness and nobility, Plato’s Socrates consistently insists that an abstract and purely rational idea of goodness both exists, and that knowledge of it is fundamental to the right ordering of all human action. While scholarly disagreement exists about the extent to which the arguments of Plato’s Socrates should be taken at face value, few scholars deny that the mind (the realm of abstraction) is presented as essentially superior to the body. The consequence of Socrates’ turn toward the abstract in the Republic—though perhaps not the intention of his argument—is a subsequent movement away from the body, and thus, also away from an emphasis on the particulars of human life. This in turn, I argue necessarily undermines the city’s existence as a multitude of distinct parts working toward a common goal. We can see the effects of the move toward abstraction most clearly by examining the consequences of the argument for sexual equality in Book V of the Republic, which I argue exemplifies the problems associated with a politics of pure abstraction. Specifically, I contend that the turn toward abstraction present in the argument for sexual equality undermines the vitally important role of mothers in establishing a sense of self, which in turn undermines the basic ground of the city as a composition of distinct parts.

Scaffolding patient agency: Conceptualising readers' cognitive work in the comic gutter.

A life-limiting illness can erode an individual's positive sense of self. Storytelling can help counteract this, through scaffolding patients' agency and supporting them in acting to change something which matters to them. This article explains how visual stories - comics - are used within the PATCHATT intervention to support the redevelopment of a person's agential self. Through the provision of a conceptual map, this article explores the gutter as a liminal space, arguing for the importance of the deep reader engagement which takes place there. It uses Bob's comic, a story used within PATCHATT, to explore how reflexivity and imagination work together within the liminal space of the gutter to stimulate and enhance palliative care patients' agential change leadership. It concludes by considering the implications of the argument put forward for palliative care practice.

Dispositional Traits, Characteristic Adaptations, and Narrative Identity Reconstructions in Individuals With Depersonalization and Derealization.

Depersonalization and derealization disorder (DPDR) is a debilitating condition. To date, little was known about the role of personality structure and of perceived social support and loneliness in DPDR. Three studies investigated, respectively: (i) broadband personality traits (five-factor model), maladaptive trait domains (PID-5), and perceived support and loneliness in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 160) versus a general population sample (N = 303), using network modeling; (ii) structure and interconnectivity of personality, perceived support and loneliness, and DPDR traits (frequency/duration) in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 160); (iii) characteristic adaptations and narrative identities in individuals with self-reported DPDR (N = 19), using thematic analysis. Study 1 found between-samples differences across several traits, especially psychoticism and negative affect. Differences in networks' global centrality, but not structures or edges, were also found. The graphical model in Study 2 showed a community of dissociative tendencies including DPDR traits and psychoticism. Study 3 highlighted the development of DPDR as a key life transition for those experiencing it, with narratives focusing on feelings of poor agency, isolation, and a disrupted sense of self. Individual differences in personality characterize DPDR, especially in psychoticism. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

How Low Socioeconomic Status Hinders Organ Donation: An Extended Self Account

Abstract Past studies find that lower socioeconomic status (SES) individuals are less likely to donate organs. Building on the extended self literature, we propose that this effect occurs in part because the body is more central to the sense of self of lower-SES individuals. We test our predictions across seven studies (N = 8,782) conducted in different countries (U.S. and Brazil) with qualitative, observational, and experimental data in controlled and field settings. Results show that lower-SES individuals ascribe a greater weight to their bodies in forming their self-concept, which reduces their willingness to donate organs. Consistent with this rationale, socioeconomic disparities in organ donation are attenuated when (a) conceptions of selfhood prioritize non-physical aspects (e.g., the mind) over physical aspects (e.g., the body), and (b) appeals emphasize organ donation as a means to extend one’s sense of self (e.g., “let yourselves live through others”). Overall, this research documents an unexplored psychological barrier to organ donation and provides insights into how donation rates can be increased among lower-SES individuals.

Self-Concept in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease Is Affected on Tests of Self-Generated Statements.

Several studies show that Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurocognitive disorders have a negative impact on the self and identity formation. Most studies have included persons with mild to moderate dementia, but how AD patients in the earliest phases retrieve information about themselves has only been studied scarcely. The aim of this study was to investigate if persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild AD would generate fewer self-related statements than healthy controls. From a memory clinic, we included 17 aMCI patients, 17 patients with mild dementia (AD; MMSE ≥ 24), and 30 healthy controls. Three Events Test and Twenty Statements Test (TST) were applied to all participants. The persons with mild dementia gave significantly fewer statements compared to the controls (p < 0.001) and the aMCI patients (p < 0.01) on TST. Fewer statements were also produced by the aMCI patients compared to the control participants (p < 0.05). Persons from both patient groups produced significantly fewer contextual details compared to the controls on the Three Events Tests. There were significant associations to lexical fluency for both the TST and Three Events Test, but only a limited amount of variance was explained, and the results cannot be explained solely by a fluency effect. The results from this study are in accordance with findings from previous studies demonstrating that mild AD leads to a decline in both autobiographical memories and a diminished sense of self. Further, this study shows that changes in self-concept may occur even in the earliest clinical stages of AD.

Navigating who I was and who I am online: How people with dementia use social media platforms to support identity.

A diagnosis of dementia can have a powerful impact on identity, and social media platforms offer promising avenues for identity expression and reconciliation. Addressing limited research in this area, we used semi-structured interviews to explore how 10 people with dementia used social media to navigate their identity. Our thematic analysis produced four themes, showing how social media platforms afford unique opportunities for self-expression, visibility, and association, thereby empowering users to maintain their sense of self, challenge stereotypes, and foster community connections. Additionally, social media facilitated a multifaceted and holistic sense of identity beyond the confines of diagnosis. While there were concerns about online self-disclosure, sharing experiences of dementia had therapeutic benefits, aiding in acceptance and adjustment. Participants also leveraged social media to establish continuity between their pre- and post-diagnostic selves, providing a sense of stability amid uncertainty. With the increasing prevalence of social media use among people with dementia, proactive measures by healthcare professionals, policymakers, technology developers, and carers are required to cultivate online experiences that are safe, supportive, and inclusive of people with dementia.

Cultivating the capacity for active balancing during adolescence: pathways to a coherent self

IntroductionIn this paper we propose that one of the core developmental aims of adolescence is to cultivate a capacity for active balancing as the primary process for creating a coherent, agentic self capable of contributing to the functioning and purposes of the communities which adolescents inhabit, including society as a broader community. While there many valuable initiatives and programs to promote positive development, learning, and wellbeing, these efforts typically take a siloed approach focusing on one dimension of development (e.g., social-emotional learning), leaving adolescents to create coherence from these disconnected approaches. As adolescence face an increasingly uncertain future (e.g., career instability), serious threats to human survival (e.g., environmental degradation), social divides (e.g., political and ideological polarization), etc., a siloed approach to adolescent development is not simply outmoded but it reinforces a fragmented self.Conceptual model and backgroundIn this paper we argue that a siloed approach to adolescent development and learning may contribute to a fragmented sense of self and agency, which can be associated with increased vulnerability to mental health challenges. We first link the proposed developmental aim of adolescence to neuroscience findings that identify three brain changes during adolescence that lay the groundwork for cultivating active balancing and provide an ontogenetic neurological push for adolescents to learn and manage how to engage their worlds. Leveraging this ontogenetic push, we propose adolescents can cultivate their capacity for active balancing within the cultural communities of practice they inhabit. These communities provide a ready and powerful fusion of action, affect, and thought into coherent and relevant understandings of the why, how, and utility of practices in a community, or what we label orientations. Active balancing is the process of actively seeking to establish or reestablish one's intended balance among these orientations.Conclusions and implicationsBuilding the capacity for active balancing, we suggest, engenders greater resilience and adaptability to a range of situations, a tolerance for and ability to resolve tensions, and an ability to transcend vast differences, including cultural and ideological. Implications for both the adolescent and society are discussed.

Study of Nursing Students’ Experiences pre and post Clinical Practice at clinical skills training center in Duhok city

A novel approach to education called simulation-based training offers students excellent chances to acquire and safely apply what they learn about nursing care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how simulation-based training affected nursing students' abilities as clinical practitioners and their sense of self- Efficaciousness. Subjects and Methods: This study (pre-posttest intervention) employed a quiz-experimental design and was conducted utilizing moderate- and high-fidelity simulators on 63 first-year nursing students for the academic year 2023–2024.At Duhok Polytechnic University and Duhok Technical Institute, this study was conducted. Data collection: demographic information, self-efficacy, and clinical proficiency tests. The software SPSS version 20 is used for analysis. Results: Following their involvement in the simulation program, participants who received the simulation-based training shown statistically significant improvements in their self-Efficaciousness and clinical proficiency levels. Conclusion: Self-Efficaciousness and clinical competency can be improved in nursing courses through simulation-based training. It is strongly advised that the nursing curriculum use multiple-patient simulations as a teaching-learning technique.

Compost me: a more-than-humanifesto

ABSTRACT Compost Me: A More-Than-Humanifesto speaks to my desire to be composted, exploring what human composting is and how the process works, in addition to what human composting can teach us about being and becoming more-than-human. As part of this more-than-humanifesto, I advocate for an extended sense of self – one that mixes and mingles with other beings and bodies – to compost discourses that present humans as separate from, and superior to, the ecologies in which they are intimately a part.

The Factors Affecting Substance Use and the Most Effective Mental Health Interventions in Adolescents and Young Adults

Adolescents and young adults are particularly susceptible to substance abuse. They have yet to solidify their sense of self to the degree necessary to effectively resist temptations from negative peer pressure. It is vital for mental health counselors to understand the factors affecting substance abuse in adolescents/young adults and to comprehend the effectiveness of common intervention strategies fully. This paper produces a narrative literature review of 27 international journal publications from 2004 through June 2024 related to causal factors and interventions effective for treating substance abuse in adolescents and young adults. The results indicate that adolescents who idolize antisocial peers and lack a strong sense of self, family attachment, parental monitoring, and role models are more likely to suffer from substance abuse. Successful interventions include those that help strengthen the adolescent’s sense of self, a mental-health-friendly school environment staffed with professional mental health counselors, and interactive programs that engage students in positive behaviors. Positive family and peer role models can also assist in helping adolescents/young adults build a strong self-image and resist substance use. Positive peer influence is another critical factor, but more work must be undertaken to fully assess its effectiveness as an intervention.