Commitment to Self-Identification: A Sociopsychological Approach to Personality

Abstract

This paper describes a self-systemic approach to the study of personality structure and process. Personality is conceptualized as organized around the ways one is committed to identifying oneself. Central to personality structure are those social roles the person is committed to performing. These role identities are the fundamental criteria by which goals, activities, and situations are selected by the person. Associated with role identities are identity goals, self-attributed characteristics that the person is motivated to exemplify when he or she is performing a particular role identity. Normative expectations are the person's beliefs as to which behaviors will express his or her identity goals. Data from a longitudinal and a cross-sectional sample of students supported this conceptualization. The theory is contrasted with the traditional self-concept approach, and is applied to an analysis of personality consistency; development, and adaptability.

Motivations for ongoing participation in a fitness activity

“…The importance of the aerobics identity to the individual parallel Shamir's (1992) findings that highly salient identities affirm the individual's sense of self. Thus, these individuals seek out opportunities to do aerobics because it enhances their sense of self; Callero (1985) and Santee and Jackson (1979) report similar findings. The Totally Immersed individuals see their aerobics identity as very important to them in relation to their other identities.…”

Commitment and leisure behavior: A theoretical perspective

“…Lee and Zeiss, 1978;Goffman, 1967). This proposition assumes that recreation behavior is goal directed (Driver and Tocher, 1970), and it is explained by personality theory that suggests that role identities the individual is committed to performing are central to personality structure (Santee and Jackson, 1979). It is suggested, therefore, that commitment is not a trait phenomenon but rather results from individuals behaving consistently with how they view themselves and how they would like to be viewed by others.…”

“…First, behavior is not always consistent in an absolute sense (Santee and Jackson, 1979). In order to understand the affective component of commitment and the resulting side bets, it is essential to understand the cultural group of which the individual is a member.…”

Assessing the Contribution of Attitudinal Variables in International Models of Food Consumption

“…In this study, a food shopping role commitment scale was used to evaluate the extent to which the respondent's self identity is infused in the food shopping role. Items were adapted from scales designed to assess other activities that are role-related (Amatea et al 1986;Santee and Jackson 1979).…”