The complexity of self-complexity : An associated systems theory approach

The current work proposed a new measurement of self-complexity based on Carlston's (1994) Associated Systems Theory (AST). AST is a systematic approach to classifying the cognitive representations of social entities and, as such, it provides a rich and theoretically based framework for examinin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social cognition 2005-10, Vol.23 (5), p.387-416
Main Authors: SCHLEICHER, Deidra J, MCCONNELL, Allen R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mental depression
Personality. Affectivity
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self evaluation
Self image
Self representation
Social psychology
Stress
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Summary:The current work proposed a new measurement of self-complexity based on Carlston's (1994) Associated Systems Theory (AST). AST is a systematic approach to classifying the cognitive representations of social entities and, as such, it provides a rich and theoretically based framework for examining self-concept representation in ways that existent approaches cannot. In the current study, an AST-based measure of self-complexity showed evidence of the buffering effect (i.e., when facing greater stress in their lives, those greater in self-complexity reported greater well-being in terms of fewer physical illnesses and less depression). However, this buffering effect was achieved only when an AST process-based scoring method (i.e., distance in AST space) was used and not when the traditional scoring method (i.e., H) was used. Implications of these results for understanding self-concept representation, AST, and their consequences are discussed. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0278-016X
1943-2798
DOI:10.1521/soco.2005.23.5.387