Iranian Students' Perception of the Reza Shah and the Ideal Self

Abstract

50 students of an Iranian University were administered a Persian language form of the AVA. They were asked to give their perceptions of the Reza Shah, the Great and of the Ideal-self concept. Findings showed a very tight cluster (n = 47) around AVA “Administrative Pattern” for perceptions of the Reza Shah, and two clusters for the students' perception of the Ideal Self. One cluster (n = 23) was consistent with findings of previous studies, attesting to the existence of a stereotype “perfect person” perception. The other cluster (n₃ = 18) overlapped completely with the “Administrative Pattern” cluster, yielding evidence that for some Ss, their ideal self-concepts were being influenced by their perceptions of their former great leader.