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Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Regulation, and Psychological Well-Being

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Self-Concept Clarity

Abstract

Previous research finds a robust positive relationship between self-concept clarity and well-being. However, the causal direction and mechanism of this relationship remains ambiguous. I propose that self-concept clarity may foster well-being by facilitating successful self-regulation and goal pursuit. This chapter outlines the role of the self-concept in several prominent theories of self-regulation, and details how, given these mechanistic roles, an unclear sense of self might undermine self-regulation and goal pursuit. Focusing on self-regulation may help to differentiate self-concept clarity from its close correlate, self-esteem, as low self-esteem and low self-concept clarity are associated with unique predictions in the domain of goal pursuit. I argue that thinking about the mechanisms linking self-concept clarity to positive outcomes can help us to better understand self-concept clarity more generally.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Although such lower-order, concrete goals are likely distally linked to the self-concept by virtue of being connected to higher-order goals with greater relevance to the self, such as the goal of being a productive worker, it seems likely that the impact of the self-concept on the pursuit of a particular goal (and vice versa) will depend on the goal’s position in a hierarchically organized system of goals, with goals that are more closely linked to the self-concept having a stronger bidirectional relationship to the self (e.g., Emmons, 1986).

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  1. University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Alysson E. Light

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Correspondence to Alysson E. Light .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences and Institute for Autism Research, Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Jennifer Lodi-Smith

  2. Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, New York, USA

    Kenneth G. DeMarree

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Light, A.E. (2017). Self-Concept Clarity, Self-Regulation, and Psychological Well-Being. In: Lodi-Smith, J., DeMarree, K. (eds) Self-Concept Clarity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71547-6_10

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