How Does A Weak Versus Strong Sense Of Self Affect People's Social And Nonsocial Involvements?

Abstract

Does possessing either a strong or weak sense of self predict the number and percentage of one's self-selected social and/or nonsocial involvements? The current study is a retrospective survey study that sought to answer this and other questions. The data from three samples, using 418 total participants, revealed that sense of self was significantly correlated with the percentage of self-selected activities and the total number of self-selected jobs, and was correlated at a marginal level of significance with the total number of self-selected activities. Strength and clarity of sense of self (a combined factor of sense of self and self-concept clarity) significantly predicted a participant's total number of self-selected activities, total number of hobbies and interests, and total number of self-selected hobbies and interests. In addition, the variables of gender and neuroticism predicted certain aspects of a participant's social participation. Sense of self is, therefore, a stable correlate of self-selected activity choice, but it does not appear to predict the number of dating relationships for females, nor the cross-temporal continuity in people's chosen activities.