Title

On The Motivational Primacy of the Individual Self: “I” Is Stronger Than “We”

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2008

Publication Source

Social and Personality Psychology Compass

Abstract

The self‐concept is dynamic, with momentary definition shifting from a representation of self as a unique and independent social agent to an undifferentiated and interchangeable group member. Indeed, the individual self and collective self are fundamental components of the self‐concept, with each being important and meaningful to human experience. However, are those selves equally important and meaningful? We review a program of research empirically testing three competing hypotheses that suggests that the motivational core of human experience is (a) the individual self, (b) the collective self, or (c) determined by contextual factors that make a given self momentarily accessible. The research furnished unanimous and consistent evidence that the individual self is the motivationally primary form of self‐definition.

Inclusive pages

958-970

ISBN/ISSN

1751-9004

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Volume

2

Issue

5

Peer Reviewed

yes

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