Abstract

A full understanding of human behavior requires consideration of how individuals view themselves. The proliferation of research addressing constructs such as self-esteem and self-efficacy exemplify this focus on self. Leary and Price Tangney (2003) posit self as an organizing construct that imposes order upon the numerous self-related constructs. According to these researchers, self is defined as the “psychological apparatus that allows organisms to think consciously about themselves” (Leary & Price Tangney, 2003, p. 8). How we view ourselves is recognized as more than a reservoir of self-knowledge and has implications for motivation and execution of goal-directed behavior (Stein & Markus, 1996). Through providing a reflexive core, the self is thought to enable individuals to experience, perceive, think, and feel in relation to themselves, as well as regulate themselves (Leary & Price Tangney, 2003).