Abstract
The recent accent in self-concept research is on the multidimensional and dynamic character of self-perception. The general objectives are to understand the processes and mechanisms underlying self-evaluation and self-regulation rather than to determine the degree of self-esteem. Such objectives require the study of several aspects of selfperception, such as the actual content of self-descriptions, the personal standards against which such self-descriptions are evaluated—the possible selves, the social character of self-perception, and its validity. These aspects are often studied separately, partly because few handy methods for their simultaneous assessment are available. Nevertheless, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms and processes of selfevaluation and self-regulation requires the integrative study of such aspects of selfperception. This chapter will show how this can be done by means of a Repertory Grid technique, thereby illustrating the usefulness of studying the interaction between the content of self-descriptions, personal standards, social interaction, and—to a certain extend, intersubjective validity of self-perception. Discussion of the data will start with a focus on some developmental, individual features of self-perception, and continue to situate such features in increasingly broader social environments. First of all, however, some theoretical considerations to argue why the Repertory Grid is an appropriate instrument for studying self-perception are warranted.
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Oosterwegel, A. (1995). Private Goals and Social Influences: The Complexity of Studying Self-System Development. In: Oosterwegel, A., Wicklund, R.A. (eds) The Self in European and North American Culture: Development and Processes. NATO ASI Series, vol 84. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0331-2_9
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