Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Self-Discrepancy Theory

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model

The Self-Evaluation Maintenance (SEM) model offers a psychological framework to understand how individuals’ self-esteem is influenced by the achievements of others, particularly those with whom they share close personal bonds. The SEM model operates when personal rather than social identity guides individuals. Central to this model is the notion that individuals have an inherent desire to preserve a favorable self-image, which is continuously shaped by interpersonal comparisons and...

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...

Self-Schemas

Self-Schemas

In general, a schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Modeling the microbial contribution to human energy balance using the Digestion, Absorption, and Microbial Metabolism (DAMM) model.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Identification of a New Transcriptional Signature of Pre-Adipocytes in Human Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)·2026

Same author

Relationship Between Personality Traits and Social Avoidance With Internet Gaming Disorder Severity.

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2026

Same author

A method to identify positive tipping points to accelerate low-carbon transitions and actions to trigger them.

Sustainability science·2026

Same author

Advancing Early Detection of Alzheimer Disease in the Primary Care Setting in the United States.

Neurology. Clinical practice·2025

Same author

Microbial Feast or Famine: dietary carbohydrate composition and gut microbiota metabolic function.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

Rorschach correlates of adolescent self-mutilation.

Sivan Kochinski¹, Steven R Smith, Matthew R Baity

¹Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and The Children's Health Council, USA. sbarazan@education.ucsb.edu

Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic

|April 19, 2008

Summary

Adolescent self-mutilation is linked to higher scores in aggressive past and perceptual-thinking issues. These factors, alongside disordered thinking, significantly predict self-harm behaviors in young patients.

More Related Videos

Strategies for Assessing Autistic-Like Behaviors in Mice

Strategies for Assessing Autistic-Like Behaviors in Mice

Published on: September 20, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

Strategies for Assessing Autistic-Like Behaviors in Mice

Strategies for Assessing Autistic-Like Behaviors in Mice

Published on: September 20, 2024

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Self-mutilation is a serious concern in adolescent inpatient populations.
Understanding the psychological underpinnings of self-harm is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate Rorschach variables related to aggression, dysphoric affect, and disordered thinking in self-mutilating (SM) versus non-self-mutilating (N-SM) adolescent inpatients.
To identify key predictors of self-mutilation in this demographic.

Main Methods:

Rorschach test variables were analyzed in two groups: SM (n=16) and N-SM (n=26) adolescent inpatients.
Categorical comparisons and logistic regression were used to assess group differences and predictive power.

Main Results:

SM patients exhibited significantly higher mean scores for Aggressive Past (AgPast).
Aggressive Content (AgC), Morbid Content (MOR), and Perceptual-Thinking Index (PTI) did not significantly differentiate the groups.
Logistic regression identified PTI and AgPast as robust predictors of group membership.

Conclusions:

Self-mutilating adolescents may experience internally directed aggression and a victimized self-perception.
The combination of disordered thinking and internally directed aggression significantly predicts self-mutilation in adolescents.