Continuation of "On the Quest for Genuine Self-Knowledge: An Investigation of the Self-Insight Motive"

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Dufner
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology ; Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 432236723

The present research program is a continuation of the project "On the Quest for Genuine Self-Knowledge: An Investigation of the Self-Insight Motive." Two research objectives are being pursued. The first is in the area of motivated self-perception. Key self-evaluation motives include the self-appreciation motive (the need for a positive self-view), the self-insight motive (the need for an accurate self-view), the self-affirmation motive (the need to confirm the current self-view), and the self-improvement motive (the need to optimize one's traits, abilities, or well-being). The current research is using ant colony optimization to develop and validate self-report scales to capture all four self-motives. The resulting scales will lay the foundation for future comprehensive research on inter-individual differences in self-evaluation motives. The second objective of the present research program is to shed light on the relationship between the receipt of feedback and resulting self-insight. As past research has shown, self-assessments of cognitive ability are often surprisingly inconsistent with objective measures of ability, even in individuals who have a strong self-insight motive and actively seek feedback about themselves. A longitudinal study will test the assumption that this can be explained by insufficient integration of self-relevant information into the enduring self-concept. The results will provide new insights into how self-insight arises and how it can be increased.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants