Project Details
On the Quest for Genuine Self-Knowledge: An Investigation of the Self-Insight Motive
Subject Area
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Term
since 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 432236723
The self-insight motive describes the dispositional tendency to strive for accurate self-knowledge. The present research program is the first to comprehensively investigate the nomological net, developmental antecedents and cognitive-behavioral consequences of the self-insight motive. Concerning the nomological net, we will validate the newly constructed self-assessment motive scale by testing its associations with other personality and self-concept variables. Concerning the antecedents, we will test the hypotheses that specific person factors (i.e., high epistemic curiosity, strong self-improvement motive) and environmental factors (i.e., unstable life circumstances, individualistic culture) lead to high levels of the self-insight motive. Concerning the consequences, we will test the hypotheses that the self-insight motive fosters self-monitoring and feedback seeking behavior, which then both lead to increased accuracy of self-reports among persons with a strong self-insight motive. The research program will involve a multi-methodological approach: In a set of seven empirical studies, self-reports, peer-reports, objective ability measures, and ambulatory assessment data will be gathered. Correlational, longitudinal, experimental, and cross-cultural designs will be implemented.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
International Connection
China, United Kingdom
Cooperation Partners
Professor Constantine Sedikides, Ph.D.; Dr. Tobias Söldner; Professorin Dr. Lei Zhu