The General Self-Concept Prime

• Author / Creator

  Kettle, Keri Lien

• Each of us has a self-concept – the set of characteristics that reflect the type of person we are (Wakslak et al. 2008) – within which exist specific self-schema and self-identities that guide our behavior in different situations. It is well established that particular constructs and identities can be differentially activated (primed) through a variety of means, such as exposure to words (Bargh, Chen, and Burrows 1996), objects (Berger and Fitzsimons 2008), and images (McKee, Nhean, Hanson, and Mase 2006). Little is known, however, about whether – or how – multiple aspects of one’s self-concept can be differentially or simultaneously primed by a single intervention. This dissertation introduces the general self-concept prime – the notion that a single intervention (such as signing one’s name) can lead to the activation of one or more distinct aspects of one’s self-concept. In three essays, I examine the general self-concept priming effect of signing one’s name, investigate how a general self-concept prime influences performance and other behaviors, and identify other interventions that serve as general self-concept primes.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Self-concept
  • Signature
  • Self-identity

• Graduation date

  Fall 2011

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3VS3P

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.