The Self-Concept Over Time: Research Issues and Directions

Abstract

Although theoretical attention has been devoted to the situational variability of the self-concept, empirical investigations continue to rely on one-shot methodologies. Such efforts assume that data obtained through these methods can be generalized to other situations in the person's life, even to subsequent years or stages in the life course. Self-concept is a structural product of reflexive activity, but it is also susceptible to change as the individual encounters new roles, situations, and life transitions. The data reviewed in this paper suggest that: (i) self-evaluation generally becomes more favorable through the life-span; (ii) self-evaluation is represented by a "moving baseline" from which situational fluctuations emerge; (iii) self-concept is characterized by both stability and change over the life course; and (iv) environmental stability plays an important role in self-concept stability. Several avenues of research are recommended to develop an accurate, meaningful, and testable theory of the self-concept over time. Article: INTRODUCTIONMost researchers view self-concept as a set of structured self-attitudes that is relatively stable and "characteristic" of an individual. While numerous studies have examined structural dimensions of self-concept, very few have focused on temporal aspects of self-concept, i.e. changes in self-concept from one situation to another, from one relationship to another, or from one year or stage in the life course to the next. As a result, little is known about the social conditions responsible for change and stability in self-concept.This review demonstrates that the dominant structural conceptualization of self-concept and the concomitant failure to study the dynamic, changing, emerging qualities of self-concept, are the products of three related and widespread methodological practices in self-concept research: (i) a preoccupation with one-shot measures of self-esteem, (ii) an overreliance on samples of adolescents and college students, and (iii) the tendency to measure self-esteem in detached classroom and experimental situations.The objective of this paper is to integrate social psychological, sociological, and developmental research on self-concept. I argue that to understand self-concept we must conceptualize it as a moving baseline with fluctuations across situations (Demo 1985) and life stages. This involves recognizing that the self-concept is simultaneously a complex structure and a process, that it is stable, but that it is also dynamic. I also argue that to capture the dynamic qualities of self-concept it is necessary to obtain repeated measurements and to include naturalistic observations. I move now to a brief review of the evidence that self-concept has both structural and processual qualities, recognizing that this evidence corresponds to two general models used by self-concept researchers and that different points of view exist within each model. THE STRUCTURAL MODELMany researchers and theorists view self-concept as a multifaceted structure of thoughts, att...

Stability of self-esteem across the life span.

“…Moreover, several studies have failed to find significant age differences, including Trimakas and Nicolay's (1974) study of individuals age 66 -88 years, Erdwins et al (1981) study of four cohorts ranging in age from 18 to 75 years, and Ryff's (1989) study comparing middleaged adults (mean age ϭ 50 years) and older adults (mean age ϭ 75 years). Reflecting the lack of consistency in previous findings, researchers reviewing the literature on self-esteem and aging have failed to reach consensus on whether self-esteem increases, decreases, or remains stable in old age (Bengtson, Reedy, & Gordon, 1985;Brandtstaedter & Greve, 1994;Demo, 1992). 1 Thus, further research is needed before any strong conclusions can be made about self-esteem change in adulthood and old age.…”

“…Second, the vast majority of existing studies have focused on age differences in self-esteem during childhood and adolescence, and only a handful of studies have examined the development of self-esteem during adulthood or old age. As Demo (1992) noted, "the research to date is extremely lopsided, with 12-and 13-year-olds forming the floor and 18-to 22-year-olds representing the ceiling of our convenience samples" (p. 323). These gaps in the research literature make any conclusions about change across much of the life span highly tenuous.…”

The self-concept life cycle and brand perceptions: An interdisciplinary perspective

“…According to Demo (1992), these are childhood (ages 2-11), adolescence (ages 12-18), young adulthood (ages 19-39), middle adulthood (ages 40-65) and late adulthood (ages above 65).…”

“…More than two decades ago, however, Demo (1992) indicated that the focus of self-concept related research had been too narrow (i.e., student samples of young adults), thus limiting the applicability of the outcomes to individuals in other life-stages. The field of psychology responded through a growing body of knowledge that considers a wider range of respondents, such as adolescents and other groups from early to late adulthood (e.g., Green et al 2012;Lodi-Smith and Roberts 2010).…”

“…Second, drawing further from Demo's (1992) view, different lenses need to be applied in order to study the self-concept, as the self is influenced by various factors that are generally studied in disciplines such as cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology or sociology. The literature from various research domains supports this interdisciplinary notion, while documenting that the self-concept mediates the effect of various factors on individuals' attitude and behavior.…”