On the motivational primacy of the individual self: “I” is stronger than “We”
On the motivational primacy of the individual self: “I” is stronger than “We”
The self-concept is dynamic, with momentary definition shifting from a representation of self as a unique and independent social agent to an undifferentiated and interchangeable group member. Indeed, the individual self and collective self are fundamental components of the self-concept, with each being important and meaningful to human experience. However, are those selves equally important and meaningful? We review a program of research empirically testing three competing hypotheses that suggests that the motivational core of human experience is (a) the individual self, (b) the collective self, or (c) determined by contextual factors that make a given self momentarily accessible. The research furnished unanimous and consistent evidence that the individual self is the motivationally primary form of self-definition.
1913-1929
Gaertner, Lowell
94e37daf-7d1b-431e-9df3-efad4f0bc91c
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
O’Mara, Erin M.
022d5d81-8faa-42c5-a31e-aacc51e18e14
September 2008
Gaertner, Lowell
94e37daf-7d1b-431e-9df3-efad4f0bc91c
Sedikides, Constantine
9d45e66d-75bb-44de-87d7-21fd553812c2
O’Mara, Erin M.
022d5d81-8faa-42c5-a31e-aacc51e18e14
Gaertner, Lowell, Sedikides, Constantine and O’Mara, Erin M.
(2008)
On the motivational primacy of the individual self: “I” is stronger than “We”.
Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2 (5), .
(doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008.00142.x).
Abstract
The self-concept is dynamic, with momentary definition shifting from a representation of self as a unique and independent social agent to an undifferentiated and interchangeable group member. Indeed, the individual self and collective self are fundamental components of the self-concept, with each being important and meaningful to human experience. However, are those selves equally important and meaningful? We review a program of research empirically testing three competing hypotheses that suggests that the motivational core of human experience is (a) the individual self, (b) the collective self, or (c) determined by contextual factors that make a given self momentarily accessible. The research furnished unanimous and consistent evidence that the individual self is the motivationally primary form of self-definition.
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63244.pdf
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Published date: September 2008
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Local EPrints ID: 63244
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/63244
PURE UUID: 62157bfa-83e6-4d52-b6f5-f7e91bdceaa9
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Date deposited: 25 Sep 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:08
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Author:
Lowell Gaertner
Author:
Erin M. O’Mara
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