Slide 1ObjectivesThe Procedural SelfHow Many Selves?Gordon Allport and the Mature SelfThe Healthy Personality?Gordon Allport: 7 Characteristics of MaturityLoevinger: on“Ego” levelWhat are the aspects of Level of Personality Functioning?Dimensions related to SelfInterpersonal DimensionsA “Life Narrative”Slide 13Narrative & Paradigmatic ModesSlide 15Developing a narrative identitySlide 17What a Life Story (Hopefully) DoesWhy bother to study the life story??Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Bad is (Usually) “Stronger” than Good Bad is (Usually) “Stronger” than Good Slide 26Slide 27Slide 28Where do life narratives/narrative identities “come from”?Where do life narratives/narrative identities “come from”?Where do life narratives/narrative identities “come from”?Slide 32Slide 33Slide 34Self-event connectionsSelf-Event Connections? (Stability or Change)Self-Event Connections? (Stability or Change)Slide 38Slide 39Slide 40Slide 41A “turning-point” with vague connections to self (Age 15)Slide 43Slide 44Slide 45Slide 46“Good Narrative Form” may be important:Slide 48Psych 507Self and Identity:Concepts of Maturity and Level of Functioning The Concept of Narrative IdentityStephanie Federspiel, Ph.D.Lecture 25 4/27/161Objectives•Finish overview of self-knowledgeAdditions:–Concepts of health/maturity and “level of personality functioning”–Intro to narrative identity (aka life story)The Procedural Self•Typically, we are not aware/conscious of all of the self-aspects that affect our behavior; these can be especially hard to change!Implicit selves can include evaluations (implicit self-esteem); or beliefs about attributes (traits) that predict behavior differently than overt self-report. Examples: Narcissism, shynessRelational selves involve styles of thinking, feeling & relating based on representations of self and others. Example: Attachment behaviorHow Many Selves?•Some theorists think each person has many declarative and procedural selves but at any given time only one active self & working self concept.–Relevant example: Stereotype threat & cognitive functioning. Self affirmation can help buffer against this (article by Hall et al. on Learn@UW)–A unitary and consistent sense of self/identity is associated with mental health and maturity.–In general, “the sense of being the same person persists across the entire lifespan” (p. 610)Gordon Allport and the Mature SelfIf you have a well-developed proprium (self) and a rich, adaptive set of dispositions, you have attained psychological maturity.The Healthy Personality?•Mental aspects of “optimal functioning” described in DSM-V–Complex, fully elaborated, and well-integrated psychological world–Mostly positive, volitional, and adaptive self-concept–Rich, broad, and appropriately regulated emotional life–Productive member of society–Reciprocal and fulfilling relationshipsThese ideas have an important history in both humanistic and psychoanalytic theoryGordon Allport: 7 Characteristics of Maturity1. Specific, enduring extensions of self (involvement.) 2. Techniques for warm relating to others (e.g. trust, empathy, genuineness, tolerance...). 3. Emotional security and self-acceptance. 4. Habits of realistic perception (not defensiveness). 5. Problem-centeredness, develops problem-solving skills. 6. Self-objectification – develops insight, humility; can laugh 7. A unifying philosophy of life8Loevinger: on“Ego” level•Changes in Impulse Control + Motivation•Poor control  some impulse control  internalized control•Changes in Interpersonal BehaviorEgocentric/Dependent  group conformity  autonomy  recognizing interdependence•Quality of moral reasoning, behavior•Major Content of Thoughts•Bodily concerns, overt actions  Psychological mindedness? Mentalization•Few concepts, ideas  Cognitive complexity?•Simple, black/white views  Tolerance for ambiguity?8What are the aspects ofLevel of Personality Functioning? Important aspects of self- and interpersonal functions develop over time in context of relationships.They exist on a continuum and are impaired in PD’s.1) 3 Dimensions related to Self Identity, Evaluation (self-concept),Agency (self-directedness)2) 3 Interpersonal aspectsEmpathy, IntimacyMature and useful representations9“Level of PersonalityFunctioning” is assessed inaddition to categorizing specific symptoms ofPersonality disorders.Dimensions related to SelfIdentitycontinuity (time) and coherence (content)differentiation (boundaries)can self-reflectmature self-representation/schema (elaborated)Evaluation (based on a Self Concept)(relatively) accurate self-appraisalregulates self-esteem & self-respect (capacity for self-acceptance & compassion)Agency/(Self-Directedness)Internal standards for behaviorCoherent, meaningful goals 10Interpersonal Dimensions •Empathy–Understands, is motivated by others’ emotion•Intimacy–Desires, maintains •Representations–Differentiated, integrated?•Vs. one-dimensional view, others not full, distinct persons?–Realistic (accurate)?–Includes psychological mindedness, mentalization11A “Life Narrative”The Subjective + selective construction of one’s life story.Reconstructed past episodesPerceived presentImagined future Explaining “Why”(Making self-event connections; seeing patterns)1213A Life Narrative is a story….Episodic constructions that go beyond facts+ Human intention, motivation, expectation+ Counterfactual thinking (alternate endings)?A Narrative Mode of understanding, reasoning.Narrative & Paradigmatic Modes•Narrative Mode–Recounting human actions in context–Intentions, goals (why)–Organized in time•Beginning, middle, end, + imagined ends (counterfactuals re: our choices)–Deriving a sense of meaning •More common, appealing than “Paradigmatic Mode”?–Empirical Observations (facts)–Generalizations about how the world works•Cause-and-effect14Brain and Story1. Self-Consciousness experience relies on an integrative (but not completely accurate) “interpreter”  Left Hemisphere, Language fxs2. Prefrontal cortex supports counterfactual thought--alternate endings, possibilities ---important for “finding” meaning15Developing a narrative identity•Narrative identity–Three aspects: actor, agent, author–How a person views his or her life, and how its trajectory fits into goals and dreams–Special importance