title: Is self-reflectiveness an unhealthy aspect of private self-consciousness?
abstract: A number of researchers (M. Conway & C. Giannopoulos, 1993; P. J. Watson & M. D. Biderman, 1993) have suggested that self-reflectiveness is an unhealthy aspect of private self-consciousness related to psychopathology. However, these studies did not control for the significant correlation that exists between self-reflectiveness and subscale factors of public self-consciousness: style consciousness and appearance consciousness. The purpose of this research was to address these interrelationships by comparing correlational results with those obtained from multiple regression analyses. Participants (N = 111) completed the Self-Consciousness Scale (A. Fenigstein, M. F. Scheier, & A. H. Buss, 1975) and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992). The results suggested that when the effects of style consciousness and appearance consciousness are controlled, the relationship between self-reflectiveness and neuroticism is nonsignificant. Furthermore, multiple regression analyses suggested a significant relationship between self-reflectiveness and low levels of agreeableness. Aspects of self-consciousness may be better understood in the context of overlapping domains that consider both common and unique variance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, 62026-1450, USA. dscande@siue.edu
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Scandell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires