Situational Variability in the Self-Concept: Appraisals, Expectancies, and Asymmetries

Three studies are described that examined the effects of contextual factors on the self-concept, self-regulation, and coping competence. Results indicated that personally significant social experiences influence not only the accessibility of differing self-conceptions, but also appraisals of their current and past self-descriptiveness and expectancies of their future likelihood. Furthermore, positive and negative experiences were found to have asymmetrical effects on these appraisals and expectancies and on their association with self-regulation and coping competence. By contrast, appraisals regarding the attractiveness and personal valuation of self-descriptors were more resistant to situational influence. Implications of these findings for clinical interventions are considered.