The Effect of Trait Self-Awareness, Self-Reflection, and Perceptions of Choice Meaningfulness on Indicators of Social Identity within a Decision-Making Context

Abstract

Theorists operating from within a narrative identity framework have suggested that self-reflective reasoning plays a central role in the development of the self. Typically, however, narrative identity researchers have investigated this relationship using correlational rather than experimental methods. In the present study, leveraging on a classic research paradigm from within the social identity literature we developed an experiment to test the extent to which self-reflection might have a causal impact on the self-concept within a decision-making context. In a minimal group paradigm participants were prompted to reflect on their painting choices either before or after allocating points to in-group∖ out-group members. As anticipated, self-reflection augmented social identification, but only when participants felt their choices were personally meaningful. Participants who reasoned about their choices and felt they were subjectively meaningful showed stronger similarity and liking for in-group members compared to those who did not reflect on their choices or found them to be subjectively meaningless. Hence, reflecting on and finding meaning in one’s choices may be an important step in linking behavior with in-group identification and thus the self-concept in turn. The absence of any effects on in-group favoritism (a third indicator of social identification measured) as well as implications of the study’s findings for self-perception, cognitive dissonance and social identity processes are also discussed.

The Relationships of Problem-Solving, Anger Expression and Control, Self-Reflection and Insight of Prospective and In-Service Teachers

“…Self-reflection is frequently connected to planning and solution-making. Dishon et al (2017) used the concept of self-reflective reasoning, whereas Christensen (2010) relied on the concept of rational reflection. The teachers' emotionality, imagination, and experience in problem-solving correlated with engagement in self-reflection and the need for self-reflection.…”

Telecollaboration and Intercultural Communicative Competence: Revealing Students’ Experiential Insights in Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

“…To investigate this, the research adopted a qualitative approach and data were collected mainly from initial and follow-up views by the participants and such views were dealt as self-reflections which expressed by each participant individually. This method was used, because according to Dishon et al (2017), self-reflective reasoning is a crucial component for the development of the self. In fact, self-reflection increases the level of self-awareness and consciousness about a given practice, which, in turn, may help the participant identify their strengths and weakness in that area.…”

Generating youth dialogue through the literary arts: A citywide youth health collaboration in the U.S.

“…For example, collectively reading stories about challenging experiences can create accessible ways to socially engage with them. This is echoed by UK models of bibliotherapy (“the use of books within therapeutic context” (see Pehrsson & McMillen, 2007), which indicate that “shared reading” of novels and other genres can help participants naturally recollect and respond to troubling life events (Ardelt & Grunwald, 2018; Dishon et al, 2017), which they may otherwise suppress. In addition to promoting dialogue in this way, shared reading among youth appears to encourage a sense of connection and social play among students; it also supports cognitive, emotional, and social developmental outcomes (Kohm et al, 2016)—including promotion of socialization, self‐confidence, and wellbeing (Pettersson, 2018).…”