Temporal Stability and Authenticity of Self-Representations in Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Self-representations are crucial for understanding identity.
• Temporal stability of these representations is key to psychological well-being.
• Little is known about factors influencing the stability of role-specific self-representations across the lifespan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the temporal stability of role-specific self-representations in adults.
• To investigate associations between stability and psychological factors (self-concept clarity, self-esteem, positive affect).
• To explore age-related differences and the role of authenticity in self-representation stability.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 188 adults across young, middle, and older age groups.
• Assessment of temporal stability for various role-specific self-representations.
• Correlational analyses examining links with self-concept clarity, self-esteem, positive affect, authenticity, and daily positive events.

Main Results:

• High temporal stability was found for most self-representations.
• Central self-descriptors were more stable than peripheral ones.
• Stability positively correlated with self-concept clarity, self-esteem, and positive affect.
• Older adults exhibited lower stability for social role self-representations (family, friend, significant other).
• Greater authenticity and more positive daily events predicted greater stability.

Conclusions:

• Role-specific self-representations demonstrate considerable temporal stability, particularly central ones.
• Psychological well-being factors and authenticity are linked to stable self-views.
• Aging may impact the stability of social self-representations, highlighting potential developmental shifts.