This study investigated personality correlates of reflectivity. Spitzer's Twenty Statements Test procedure, developed within a symbolic-interactionist framework, was used to identify reflective subjects. Of primary interest was the relationship between reflectivity and indices of ideal-self discrepancy. Other variables assumed to have relevance to reflectivity were self-awareness, imagery control, socialization, and anxiety. Results confirmed the predictions for ideal-self discrepancy and for anxiety. The implications of these findings for understanding the reflective process are briefly presented.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AchenbachT.ZiglerE. (1963) Social competence and self-image disparity in psychiatric and nonpsychiatric patients. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 197–205.
2.
BauerS. R.AchenbachT. M.Self-image disparity, repression-sensitization, and extraversion-introversion: A unitary dimension?Journal of Personality Assessment, 1976, 40, 46–51.
3.
BillsR. E. (1953) A validation of changes in scores on the Index of Adjustment and Values as measures of changes in emotionality. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1953, 17, 135–138.
4.
BillsR. E. (1954) Acceptance of self as measured by interviews and the Index of Adjustment and Values. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 18, 22.
5.
BillsR. E.VanceE. L.McLeanO. S. (1951) An index of adjustment and values. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 15, 257–261.
6.
BussA. H. (1980) Self-consciousness and social anxiety. San Francisco, CA: Freeman.
7.
ColeE.OettingE.HinkleJ. (1967) Non-linearity of self-concept discrepancy—the value dimension. Psychological Reports, 21, 58–60.
8.
FenigsteinA.ScheierM. F.BussA. H. (1975) Public and private self-consciousness: Assessment and theory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 43, 522–527.
9.
GoughH. G. (1957) Manual for the California Psychological Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
10.
GoughH. G.LazzaniR.FioravantiM. (1978) Self versus ideal self: A comparison of five adjective check list indices. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978, 46, 1085–1091.
11.
KatzP.ZiglerE.Self-image disparity: A developmental approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 5, 186–195.
12.
KuhnM. H.McPartlandT. A. (1954) An empirical investigation of self-attitudes. American Sociological Review, 19, 68–76.
13.
MegargeeE. I. (1972) The California Psychological Inventory handbook. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
14.
NieN. H.HullC. H.JenkinsJ. C.SteinbrennerK.BentD. H. (1975) SPSS: A statistical package for the social sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.
15.
QuinnT. M. (1979) The effects of alcohol on suggestibility. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The George Washington Univer.
16.
RichardsonA. (1969) Mental imagery. New York: Springer.
17.
SpitzerS. P. (1977) Reflective processes and anxiety. British Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 386–391.
18.
SpitzerS. P. (1978) Ontological insecurity and reflective processes. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 8, 203–217.
19.
SpitzerS. P. (1981) Reflective process. In LynchM. D.Norem-HebeisenA. A.GergenK. J. (Eds.), Self-concept: Advances in theory and research. Cambridge: Ballinger. Pp. 75–85.
20.
SpitzerS. P.CouchC.StrattonJ. (1970) The assessment of the self. Davenport, IA: Bowden.
21.
TellegenA.AtkinsonG. (1974) Openness to absorbing and self-altering experiences (“Absorption”), a trait related to hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 83, 268–277.
22.
WinklerR.MyersR. S. (1963) Some concomitants of self-ideal discrepancy measures of self-acceptance. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 10, 83–86.
ZiglerE.BallaD.WatsonN.Developmental and experiential determinants of self-image disparity in institutionalized and noninstitutionalized retarded and normal children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1972, 23, 81–87.
