A cognitive-ecological approach to temporal self-appraisals

We investigate self-appraisals over time using a cognitive-ecological approach. We assume that ecologically, negative person attributes are more diverse than positive ones, while positive person attributes are more frequent than negative ones. We combine these ecological properties with the cognitive process of similarity- and differences-based social comparisons to predict temporal self-appraisals. The resulting cognitive-ecological model predicts that people should evaluate similarities with themselves over time positively, whereas differences would be evaluated more negatively. However, because positive attributes are reinforced over time relative to negative attributes, we predicted an asymmetry to emerge such that distinct attributes of the past self (past differences) would be most negative. Six experiments (total N = 1,796) and an integrative data analysis confirmed the cognitive-ecological model's predictions for temporal self-appraisals. However, we found no evidence for motivated self-perception across time. We discuss the implications of these findings for temporal self-appraisal theory and other aspects of self and identity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).