EFFECTS OF SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS ON SELF- AND OTHER-MEANINGFULNESS AND DIFFERENTIATION WITHIN THE PERSONAL CONSTRUCT SYSTEM

The present study was based upon a theoretical integration of the areas of self- and other-construal, from a personal construct theory perspective. Examined were the relative degree of meaningfulness and differentiation of construal of self and others within the person\u27s construct system, based upon individual differences in self-consciousness. Self-consciousness factors, as measured by Fenigstein, Scheier, and Buss\u27s (1975) Self-Consciousness Scale, involve tendencies to seek out information about oneself either through monitoring internal processes (private self-consciousness) or the reactions of others to oneself (public self-consciousness). Self- and other-meaningfulness and differentiation were measured through the use of repertory grid measures. Subjects rated self and others in different life contexts on the same personal construct dimensions, allowing for a contextually-based examination of self/other rating differences. It was predicted that private self-consciousness would be related to greater self-meaningfulness, and public self-consciousness to greater meaningfulness for others. It was also predicted that since public self-consciousness involves attending to others, the effects of this variable would be more marked when the person rated was more contextually-relevant. Neither of these predictions were confirmed. A third prediction was that private self-consciousness would be related to greater self-differentiation within the construct system. Public self-consciousness, alternatively, would be related to greater construed similarity between self and others, particularly as the contextual-relevance of the other person increased. This prediction was also not confirmed. Given the complexity of analyzing such construal processes simultaneously, a number of methodological issues were raised. In particular, it remains possible that the failure of the present study is due to a too molar level of analysis. Future research will be aimed at examining self/other construal differences, for example, across theoretically relevant subsets of an individual\u27s construct dimensions, rather than across the entire set as was done in the present study