Synonyms
Definition
“The extent to which the contents of an individual’s self-concept are clearly and confidently defined, internally consistent, and temporally stable” (Campbell et al. 1996, p. 141).
Introduction
Much like people form conceptions about objects and ideas they encounter in the world (e.g., chocolate cake is sweet, brown, rich, and tasty), they also develop conceptions about another object: the self. The self-concept is a complex knowledge structure that contains every available piece of information that is relevant to the self (e.g., traits, values, beliefs, etc.). However, researchers have argued that there are additional factors – beyond the mere contents of one’s self-conceptions – that are critical to understanding self-relevant phenomena. One such factor that appears to offer unique insights into self-related processes is self-concept clarity (Campbell 1990; Campbell et al. 1996). Self-concept clarity (SCC) is defined as “the extent to...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Bigler, M., Neimeyer, G. J., & Brown, E. (2001). The divided self revisited: Effects of self-concept clarity and self-concept differentiation on psychological adjustment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 396–415.
Campbell, J. D. (1990). Self-esteem and clarity of the self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 538–549.
Campbell, J. D., Trapnell, P. D., Heine, S. J., Katz, I. M., Lavallee, L. F., & Lehman, D. R. (1996). Self-concept clarity: Measurement, personality correlates, and cultural boundaries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 141–156.
DeMarree, K. G., & Bobrowski, M. E. (2018). Structure and validity of self-concept clarity measures. In J. Lodi-Smith & K. G. DeMarree (Eds.), Self-concept clarity: Perspectives on assessment, research, and application. New York: Springer.
Lewandowski, G. W., Jr., Nardone, N., & Raines, A. J. (2010). The role of self-concept clarity in relationship quality. Self and Identity, 9, 416–433.
Schwartz, S. J., Klimstra, T. A., Luyckx, K., Hale, W. W., III, & Meeus, W. H. J. (2012). Characterizing the self-system over time in adolescence: Internal structure and associations with internalizing symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41, 1208–1225.
Stopa, L., Brown, M. A., Luke, M. A., & Hirsch, C. R. (2010). Constructing a self: The role of self-structure and self-certainty in social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 955–965.
Vartanian, L. R. (2009). When the body defines the self: Self-concept clarity, internalization, and body image. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 94–126.
Wong, A. E., Vallacher, R. R., & Nowak, A. (2014). Fractal dynamics in self-evaluation reveal self-concept clarity. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences, 18, 349–369.
Wu, C., & Yao, G. (2007). Relations among self-certainty, sense of control and quality of life. International Journal of Psychology, 42, 342–352.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bobrowski, M.E. (2018). Self-Concept Clarity. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2002-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2002-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences