Conceptions of Self and Others

Abstract

The Mead-Cooley interactionist framework provides a basis for the study of the genesis of self-conception. In using this framework to analyze the sources of differential self-evaluation in military groups, a direct relationship was found between self-conception, the perceived generalized other, and the actual responses of others. Further, a high degree of correspondence exists between self-conception and the perceived generalized other; this was not true for self-conception and the actual responses of others, except for persons who rated themselves low. Persons whose self-evaluation disagrees with the evaluation rendered by the group are more likely to have a greater number of reference groups.