Zur Theorie dimensionaler Vergleiche und ihrer Erweiterung auf die 'Big Two', Agency und Communion
Sozialpsychologie und Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie
Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse
The studies in this project are the first to systematically examine dimensional comparisons between the central personality domains of agency and communion. In the Möller part of the project, we examined in two experimental and two field studies the relationship between the personality domains agency and communion. In a first study, students’ self-evaluations were regressed on other-evaluations by peers and teachers at the same time, in a second study on prior self- and teacher evaluations. When analyzing relations between self- and other-evaluations of agency and communion at one point in time, negative paths from teachers’ and peers’ evaluations on students’ selfevaluations showed. When analyzing the relations between selfand other-evaluations of agency and communion longitudinally, we found negative path-coefficients between prior and subsequent self-evaluations in non-corresponding domains. Furthermore, positive (negative) feedback in one domain had a negative (positive) influence on self-evaluation in the other domain. Results of the cross-sectional and longitudinal field studies as well as under experimental conditions indicate dimensional comparison effects between the agentic and communal domain. Taken together, the results of the conducted studies in this project support reasoning derived from DCT and show that dimensional comparison processes are central processes in the formation of self-evaluations, with their occurrence not being limited to the academic domain as proposed in the GI/E model. In the Abele part of the project, throughout the three experiments with different operationalizations of power position and submissive/neutral position agency self-ratings varied with power position, but there was no compensatory variation of communion self-ratings. Rather, communion self-ratings were relatively stable in both conditions. Does that mean that intraindividual compensation does not take place regarding agency and communion? We think that to answer this question additional experimental set-ups should be tested that give more explicit hints on comparison between both domains, for instance, different roles of the two interacting individuals. However, previous research was also inconclusive. Abele, Rupprecht and Wojciszke (2008) did not find compensation when individuals with positive or negative performance feedback indeed changed their agency ratings (higher after success than failure), but did not change their communion ratings. Helm et al. (2017) demonstrated compensation, but in this study participants rated either their agency (after communion feedback) or their communion (after agency feedback) and not both. In contrast, inter-individual compensation clearly occurred: It occurred with respect to partner ratings, as partner was rated higher on agency if in the power position, and higher on communion, if in the submissive position. Compensation also occurred when comparing partnerversus self-ratings in the power position, as participants in the power position rated themselves higher on agency, but lower on communion than their partner in the submissive condition. However, in the submissive position, there was no compensation: Whereas agency selfratings were lower in the submissive condition than agency-other ratings, communion selfratings were not higher. One interpretation of the missing compensation effect in the submissive condition could be that communion ratings were already very high and a ceiling effect may have prevented compensation.
Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)
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(2015, August). Dimensional Comparisons between the Big Two. Eighth SELF Biennial International Conference, Kiel, Germany
Helm, F., Abele, A.E., Müller-Kalthoff, H., & Möller, J.
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(2017). Anwendung der Theorie dimensionaler Vergleiche auf die fundamentalen Dimensionen der sozialen Wahrnehmung, agency und communion. In: Retelsdorf, J., Zimmermann, F., Südkamp, A. & Köller, O. (Hrsg.), Selbstbezogene Kognitionen, sprachliche Kompetenzen und Professionalisierung von Lehrkräften. Münster: Waxmann (S. 81-90)
Abele, A.E.
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(2016). The Generalized Internal/External Frame of Reference Model: An Extension to Dimensional Comparison Theory. Frontline Learning Research, 4, 1-11
Möller, J., Helm, F., Müller-Kalthoff, H., Nagy, N., & Marsh, H. W.
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(2017). Applying dimensional comparison theory to the fundamental dimensions of social judgment – agency and communion. Learning and Individual Differences, 54, 116–125
Helm, F., Abele, A. E., Mueller-Kalthoff, H. & Möller, J.
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(2018). Dimensional comparison theory and the agency–communion framework. In: Abele, A.E. & Wojciszke, B. (Eds), The Agency – Communion Framework. Series: Current Issues in Social Psychology. Oxford: Routledge
Helm, F. & Möller, J.
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(2020). Body posture and interpersonal perception in a dyadic interaction: A Big Two Analysis. European Journal of Social Psychology
Abele, A.E. & Yzerbyt, V.
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(2020). Perceived teacher unfairness and student motivation in math and German: An application of the generalized internal/external frame of reference model. Learning and Individual Differences, 81, 101891
Helm, F., Arens, A.K., & Möller, J.
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(2020). Self-concept Formation in Agency and Communion. Tenth SELF International Conference. Québec City: Université du Québec [due to pandemic postponed to June 2021]
Petrak, A., Helm, F., Wolff, F., Möller, J.
