Embodied metaphor and the “true” self: Priming entity expansion and protection influences intrinsic self-expressions in self-perceptions and interpersonal behavior

Landau, Mark J.; Vess, Matthew; Arndt, Jamie; Rothschild, Zachary K.; Sullivan, Daniel; Atchley, Ruth Ann

doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.08.012

Cited by 56 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…This concept also appears to have an impact in people's lives. For example, beliefs about the true self have been shown to influence attributions about behavior (Johnson & Boyd, 1995;Johnson, Robinson, & Mitchell, 2004;Landau et al, 2011;Newman, De Freitas, & Knobe, 2015;Newman, Bloom, et al, 2014;Sripada, 2010), assessments of others' lives (Newman, Lockhart, & Keil, 2010), beliefs about the meaning of life (Schlegel, Hicks, Arndt, & King, 2009;Schlegel, Hicks, King, & Arndt, 2011), decision making (Schlegel, Hicks, Davis, Hirsch, & Smith, 2013), and general measures of well-being (Kernis & Goldman, 2004;Schimel, Arndt, Pyszczynski, & Greenberg, 2001).…”

Section: The Good True Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent Belief in a Good True Self in Misanthropes and Three Interdependent Cultures

et al. 2017

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People sometimes explain behavior by appealing to an essentialist concept of the self, often referred to as the true self. Existing studies suggest that people tend to believe that the true self is morally virtuous, i.e., that, deep inside, every person is motivated to behave in morally good ways. Is this belief particular to individuals with optimistic beliefs or people from Western cultures, or does it reflect a widely held cognitive bias in how people understand the self? To address this question, we tested the good true self theory against two potential boundary conditions that are known to elicit different beliefs about the self as a whole. Study 1 tested whether individual differences in misanthropy -the tendency to view humans negatively -predict beliefs about the good true self in an American sample. The results indicate a consistent belief in a good true self, even among individuals who have an explicitly pessimistic view of others. Study 2 compared true self-attributions across cultural groups, by comparing samples from an independent country (USA) and a diverse set of interdependent countries (Russia, Singapore, and Colombia). Results indicated that the direction and magnitude of the effect are comparable across all groups we tested. The belief in a good true self appears robust across groups varying in cultural orientation or misanthropy, suggesting a consistent psychological tendency to view the true self as morally good.

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Section: The Good True Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent Belief in a Good True Self in Misanthropes and Three Interdependent Cultures

et al. 2017

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“…Importantly, metaphoric transfer has also been observed for complex metaphors. In a particularly relevant example of this phenomenon, Landau and colleagues () demonstrated that exposure to an enlarging (relative to constricting) core‐like entity subsequently increased feelings of self‐actualization and reduced behavioral conformity. These results are consistent with the complex metaphor that links authentic self‐expressions to the expansion of the integral core‐like entity that we think of as the true self.…”

Section: The True Selfmentioning

confidence: 99%

To Discover or to Create: Metaphors and the True Self

Schlegel

Vess

Arndt

2012

Journal of Personality

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Three studies examined how endorsement of self-discovery and self-creation metaphors influences belief in the true self and its use as meaning source. It was hypothesized that discovery metaphors contribute to belief in the true self and bolster the relationship between true self-knowledge and meaning. Study 1 supported the hypothesis that discovery is positively associated with belief in the true self among a sample of college students (N = 311). Studies 2 and 3 extended the analysis by showing that the discovery metaphor also facilitates perceptions of meaning and the use of the true self specifically as a source of meaning in a second sample of college students (N = 75) as well as an adult sample of university employees (N = 173). Implications for understanding what enables the true self to infuse life with meaning, as well as an individual differences approach to metaphoric cognition, are discussed.

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“…The first reason stems from metaphor theory (e.g., Lakoff & Johnson, ; Landau, Meier, & Keefer, ), which suggests that metaphors allow for the understanding of abstract concepts (e.g., love) in terms of concrete, easy to grasp concepts (e.g., “love is a journey;” Landau et al, ). People often describe their self‐concept metaphorically as a physical entity with a core‐like center and an external shell (e.g., “This is who I am on the inside , beneath the surface ”; Landau et al, ). The deeper a concept (e.g., belief) or external entity (e.g., romantic partner) is brought into this core, the more it is considered a part of one's “true self” (Burris & Rempel, , ; Landau et al, ).…”

Section: Measuring Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People often describe their self‐concept metaphorically as a physical entity with a core‐like center and an external shell (e.g., “This is who I am on the inside , beneath the surface ”; Landau et al, ). The deeper a concept (e.g., belief) or external entity (e.g., romantic partner) is brought into this core, the more it is considered a part of one's “true self” (Burris & Rempel, , ; Landau et al, ). Because pictorial measures capitalize on this metaphorical description of the self, they are thought to better capture the fusion experience.…”

Section: Measuring Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Becoming part of me: Examining when objects, thoughts, goals, and people become fused with the self‐concept

Hatvany

Burkley

Curtis

2017

Social & Personality Psych

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Fusion refers to the sense that a construct is integrated into the self-concept. When a person feels fused with a construct, there is a perceived "oneness" with the construct, and as a result, the construct is treated as an extension of the self. This concept of fusion has been explored across a wide range of constructs and within a number of subfields in psychology. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive view of the fusion process and to connect these disparate areas of literature underneath a single unifying theme. Specifically, we focus on five constructs that researchers have explored in terms of fusion: objects, thoughts, goals, significant others, and groups. In our review, we discuss the ways that fusion is typically measured and highlight the consequences that occur as a result of such fusion. We conclude by highlighting questions that remain unanswered and suggest potential areas of future development.Fusion refers to the sense that a construct is integrated into the self-concept. Combat veterans are good examples of individuals who fuse with those around them and their roles in combat. Their self-concept changes to include those roles and their comrades-in-arms. This fusion likely serves as a major source of motivation and morale and is likely beneficial to their survival. However, upon returning to civilian life, this fusion can make adjusting difficult. Without these parts of their self-concept, they may feel as if they have lost something of themselves. For other individuals, objects, thoughts, goals, and other people can become a part of their self-concept. This fusion with the self-concept can have a significant impact on their lives.The idea that a construct can become integrated, or fused, with the self-concept is not new to psychology. James (1890, p. 291) was one of the first to point out this integration of outside constructs with the self, stating, "It is clear that between what a man calls me and what he simply calls mine the line is difficult to draw." Similarly, Aron and Aron (1997) suggested that the more one perceives a construct as fused, the more the construct is included within the knowledge structures of the self. This means that when a particular construct is highly fused, it no longer is something the person simply does, wears, or thinks. Rather, it is a part of who they are. Thus, a person low in fusion with running "goes running," but a person high in fusion with running "is a runner." What constructs can become fused within the self-concept? Most obvious are constructs pertaining to our physical body (e.g., skin and fingers; see Allport, 1955;Belk, 1988;Burris & Rempel, 2004;James, 1890;Prelinger, 1959). We perceive parts of our body as pieces of our self. If we lose a finger or a limb, we lose a part of our self, but the overall self is still present. Extensions of the physical body can also be perceived as parts of our self, including our shadows or the warmth produced by our bodies (Horwicz, 1872). But fusion extends far beyond our physical form.In t...

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Embodied metaphor and the “true” self: Priming entity expansion and protection influences intrinsic self-expressions in self-perceptions and interpersonal behavior

Cited by 56 publications

References 24 publications

Consistent Belief in a Good True Self in Misanthropes and Three Interdependent Cultures

Consistent Belief in a Good True Self in Misanthropes and Three Interdependent Cultures

To Discover or to Create: Metaphors and the True Self

Becoming part of me: Examining when objects, thoughts, goals, and people become fused with the self‐concept

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