Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2005 Determinants of self-concept change in new environments Jonathan Smith Gore Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Developmental Psychology Commons, Social Psychology Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Recommended Citation Gore, Jonathan Smith, "Determinants of self-concept change in new environments " (2005). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 1238. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/1238 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Determinants of self-concept change in new environments by Jonathan Smith Gore A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Psychology Program of Study Committee: Susan E. Cross, Major Professor Douglas Bonett Carolyn Cutrona Lisa Larson Stephanie Madon Daniel Russell Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2005 UMI Number: 3172216 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3172216 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ii Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation of Jonathan Smith Gore has met the requirements of Iowa State University Signature was redacted for privacy. Major Professor Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Program iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii INTRODUCTION 1 The Self-Concept 1 Overview 7 The Individual Route 9 The Relationship Route 19 The Group Route 29 The Ecological Route 36 Individual Differences 45 Methodological Issues 48 Current Study 53 Results from a Pilot Study 55 Hypotheses 56 METHOD 64 Participants 64 Materials 65 Procedure 74 Gender Differences 76 Differences between Time Points 77 RESULTS 78 Correlation Analysis 78 Hypothesis 1 : Testing effects of routes on corresponding self-change variables 80 Hypothesis 2: Testing cross-over effects of routes on self-change variables 81 Hypothesis 3 : Testing the role of the mechanisms of change in the self-change 85 process Hypothesis 4: Testing the moderation effects of expectations of change 91 Hypothesis 5: Testing the associations between the self-change process and well- 95 being DISCUSSION 97 Analysis Summary 97 Implications 101 Limitations and Future Directions 104 Conclusions 109 REFERENCES 109 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. SEM Estimation of Change. 50 Figure 2. Proposed Model for Hypothesis #1. 58 Figure 3. Proposed Model for Hypothesis #2. 59 Figure 4. Proposed Model for Hypothesis #3. 62 Figure 5. Model Results for Hypothesis #2 (Expanded Model). 83 Figure 6. Model Results for Hypothesis #2 (Reduced Model). 84 Figure 7. Model Results for Hypothesis #3 (Expanded Model). 89 Figure 8. Model Results for Hypothesis #3 (Reduced Model). 90 Figure 9. Expected Change X Time 2 Individual Route Predicting T1T2 Group 92 Self-Change. Figure 10. Expected Change X Time 3 Individual Route Predicting T2T3 Individual 93 Self-Change. Figure 11. Expected Change X Time 3 Group Route Predicting T2T3 Group Self- 94 Change. Figure 12. Expected Change X Time 3 Group Route Predicting T2T3 Relational 94 Self-Change. V LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary Table for the Individual Route. 19 Table 2. Summary Table for the Relationship Route. 29 Table 3. Summary Table for the Group Route. 36 Table 4. Summary Table for the Ecological Route. 45 Table 6. Percentage of Events Described as Producing a Change in Personality 55 (Pilot Study). Table 7. Mean Number of Descriptions within Each Category Listed at Time 1, 70 and the Mean Number of Deletions and Additions for Each Category at Time 2 and Time 3. Table 8. Operationalization of Constructs. 72 Table 9. Correlation Matrix and Descriptives. 73 Table 10. Correlations and Descriptives for Participants with Complete Data. 74 Table 11. Mean Differences of Route and Well-Being Variables (Time 1 vs. Time 2, 77 and Time 2 vs. Time 3). Table 12. Mean Differences of Mechanisms and Sel&Cbange Variables (Time 1 - 77 Time 2 vs. Time 2 - Time 3). Table 13. Time 2 Routes Predicting Time 1-Time 2 Self-Change Variables, and 80 Time 3 Routes Predicting Time 2-Time 3 Self-Change Variables. Table 14. Time 2 Routes Predicting Time 2 Mechanisms, and Time 3 Routes 86 Predicting Time 3 Mechanisms. Table 15. Time 2 Routes and Mechanisms Predicting Time 1-Time 2 Self-Change 86 Variables, and Time 3 Routes and Mechanisms Predicting Time 2-Time 3 Self-Change Variables. Table 16. Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Expected Change and 92 Time 2 Individual Route Predicting T1T2 Group Self-Change. Table 17. Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Expected Change and 93 Time 3 Individual Route Predicting T2T3 Individual Self-Change. vi LIST OF TABLES (CONTINUED) Table 18. Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Expected Change and 94 Time 3 Group Route Predicting T2T3 Group Self-Change and T2T3 Relational Self-Change. Table 19. Correlations with Weil-Being. 95 Table 20. Routes to Change, Mechanisms of Change, and Self-Change Variables 96 Predicting Psychological Well-being. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Susan Cross for her guidance and patience over several years. Thank you to Drs. Douglas Bonett, Carolyn Cutrona, Lisa Larson, Stephanie Madon, and Daniel Russell for their input and advice on this project. Many thanks go to all of the research assistants who collected the data for this study. Thanks to my fiamily and friends for their encouragement and support through my years as a graduate student. Finally, thank you to my wife, Kate, for her sympathetic ear and undying love. Without you all, this project would never have reached this point. 1 INTRODUCTION In the film "Dances With Wolves," Civil War Lieutenant John Dunbar is stationed at a look-out post in the Great Plains region, after being transferred from the battlefields in the East. While he tries to adjust himself to his new surroundings, he meets several Sioux Indians, who later become good friends. Over the next several months, Lt. Dunbar undergoes a transformation in which his appearance, language, philosophy, and name become a part of the Sioux tribe. He eventually becomes a respected member of the tribe and creates around him a cohesive social network including the tribal holy man, Kicking Bird, and a romantic partner, Stands With A Fist. Later, Lt. Dunbar is apprehended by the Union Army and interrogated. He no longer holds allegiance to this part of his past. When they ask him his name and rank, he responds in the Sioux language, "My name is Dances With Wolves and I am a member of the Sioux tribe." What has occurred in this instance is not brainwashing nor is it a matter of Lt. Dunbar having a weak sense of identity, but rather it is an instance of self- concept change through a transition to a new social and physical environment. Before the change process is examined, I will define the self-concept and distinguish it from other self- related constructs. The Self-Concept The self-concept has its roots in several facets of one's life. In some ways the self- concept is a reflection of one's social environment, what may be referred to as the "looking glass self (Mead, 1934). In other ways, the self-concept is part of a narrative sequence of experiences; the piece that binds our experiences together and makes them coherent (Freeman, 1992; Gergen & Gergen, 1988, Young-Eisendrath & Hall, 1988). Yet another perspective on the self-concept comes from researchers' understanding of semantic memory 2 and cognitive structures (Kihlstrom & Cantor, 1984; Kihlstrom, Cantor, Albright, Chew, Klein, & Niedenthal, 1988; Maikus, 1983). Although many theorists argue each of these stances exclusively, most researchers have concurred that the selfconcept consists of multiple dimensions that are organized hierarchically in memory (Maikus & Wurf) 1987; Marsh, Byrne, & Shavelson, 1988; Oyserman & Maikus, 1993). This allows for schematic, experiential and social elements to be involved simultaneously in the definition of the self. The self is an amalgam of lower-level self-aspects: experiences, traits, relationships, social roles and identities, environments, abilities and beliefs. These lower-level self-aspects may then be arranged into higher-order self-domains (e.g., an individual sel% a relational self). As the lower level self-aspects change, the higher-order self-domains they are a part of shift in the degree to which it is activated as a part of the general selfconcept. The more these lower- level changes occur, the greater the overall shift in the general self-concept. Therefore, we define the self-concept here as the higher-order construct that ties together lower-level, self relevant dimensions. A definition of self-concept change requires that particular distinctions be made. First, I wish to distinguish between /ower-order cAaage and AzgAer-orakr coMcg# cAwzge.