Experiments On Factors Related To Self-Concept Change In Soc

Experiments On Factors Related To Self-Concept Change in Social Psychology

The article explores the theoretical framework and empirical investigation surrounding the factors that influence self-concept change through social interactions. It grounds its discussion in the Cooky-Mead formulations concerning the self, emphasizing that self-conception is shaped by perceptions of others’ responses. The study aims to understand the specific conditions under which perceived responses impact self-concept, focusing on factors such as frequency, importance, temporal proximity, and response consistency. The research employs experimental methods to test hypotheses about how these factors influence self-perception, using a series of controlled experiments with college students involving ratings by confederates as a measure of social feedback and its effect on self-assessment of leadership traits.

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The development of self-concept has been a core focus in social psychology, with foundational theories by Cooley and Mead emphasizing the role of social interactions and perceptions of others' responses in shaping how individuals see themselves. This perspective posits that self-identity is not innate but continually constructed through interpersonal processes, which subsequently influence behavior and social adjustment (Cooley, 1902; Mead, 1934). The current study explores these dynamics empirically, aiming to clarify under what conditions social feedback impacts self-concept, particularly in regard to leadership attributes among college students.

Historically, theoretical models suggest that self-conception is a reflection of perceived social responses, yet the specifics of how various contextual factors enhance or inhibit this influence have been less examined. The study by Kinch (1968) advances this enterprise by testing hypotheses derived from the broader theoretical framework, focusing on four key factors: frequency of responses, perceived importance, temporal proximity, and consistency of responses. These factors are integral because they determine the salience and reliability of social feedback, affecting how it is integrated into self-views.

The experimental design involved college students interacting in a simulated leadership task where they believed they were being evaluated by expert peers. Confederate raters provided feedback on leadership performance, manipulated across different conditions to test hypotheses. For instance, in the 'Frequency' condition, participants received multiple ratings across two sessions, hypothesizing that increased exposure would reinforce the influence of social feedback on self-concept. Similarly, in the 'Importance' condition, ratings from a perceived authoritative figure (the experimenter) aimed to test whether the status of the source amplifies feedback effects.

Temporal proximity was addressed by examining immediate versus delayed ratings, with the assumption that more immediate feedback would exert a stronger influence on self-perceptions, particularly on attributes like leadership. The factor of consistency was manipulated by varying the dispersion of ratings; more consistent feedback was expected to produce more significant self-concept shifts due to greater perceived reliability.

The results supported several hypotheses. The most compelling finding was that frequent positive ratings from confederates led to statistically significant increases in self-rated leadership ability, indicating that increased exposure to social responses reinforces self-concept change. Notably, there was a more pronounced effect in the 'Repeat' condition, consistent with the hypothesis that response frequency amplifies influence (Hypothesis 1). Similarly, ratings from a high-status source (the investigator) produced marginally greater self-concept shifts, aligning with the importance hypothesis (Hypothesis 2), although differences were not statistically significant, possibly due to the small sample size.

Temporal proximity appeared to have a notable effect, with immediate ratings producing larger shifts than delayed feedback, reaffirming the importance of recency in social evaluation (Hypothesis 3). Interestingly, the dispersion of ratings—representing response inconsistency—did not diminish the impact as predicted; in fact, dispersed ratings led to slightly greater self-concept change, suggesting that variability in feedback might be interpreted as a sign of genuine assessment, thereby increasing its influence (Hypothesis 4). These findings collectively underscore the multifaceted nature of social feedback in shaping self-concept and highlight the experimental control necessary for disentangling these effects.

Methodologically, the study employed controlled experiments with before-and-after self-evaluations, manipulating social response variables systematically. The use of confederates allowed for precise control over the feedback, while the repeated measures design enhanced the robustness of the findings. Despite some limitations, including small sample sizes and artificial laboratory conditions, the research advances understanding of the social determinants of self-concept revision and supports a nuanced view that multiple social factors interact to produce change.

Implications for social psychological theory are significant. These results validate the core tenet that social responses influence self-perceptions, while elucidating the boundary conditions—such as frequency, source importance, immediacy, and response consistency—that modulate this influence. They also suggest practical applications in areas like leadership development, counseling, and educational settings, where feedback is a primary tool for fostering positive self-concept development.

References

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