Disentangling self-descriptions and self-evaluations under conditions of high self-focused attention: effects of mirror exposure

Hofmann SG, Heinrichs N. Disentangling self-descriptions and self-evaluations under conditions of high self-focused attention: effects of mirror exposure. Personality and Individual Differences. 2002;32(4):611-620.To investigate the differential effects of mirror exposure on self-descriptions and self-evaluations, we asked 52 undergraduate college students to record three positive and three negative characteristics about themselves. Half of them sat in front of a mirror for 5 min prior to this task. Participants' responses were classified into either positive or negative statements concerning their bodily appearance, competence, and socially relevant or non-socially relevant personality characteristics. Individuals with prior mirror exposure showed a greater balance between positive and negative self-statements, more positive and negative self-statements concerning bodily appearance, and less self-critical statements concerning non-socially relevant personality characteristics than participants without previous mirror exposure. These findings suggest that mirror exposure has a moderating effect on self-evaluation, and leads to more statements about public aspects, and to less self-critical statements about private aspects of the self