Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification

Self-verification is the motivation to be seen by others in a way that aligns with one’s self-perception.

Individuals selectively seek, remember, and accept personality feedback that confirms their self-concept and even correct others who hold inaccurate positive impressions of them.

For instance, in an experiment, participants interacted with a confederate who labeled them as submissive or dominant.

They accepted labels that matched their self-view but changed their behavior when labels conflicted—dominant individuals acted more assertively when called submissive, while submissive individuals became more passive when called dominant.

In another study, students chose between two interaction partners—one who gave a positive evaluation and another who gave a less favorable evaluation.

Students with a positive self-view selected partners who saw them favorably, while most with a negative self-view chose partners who reflected their perceived flaws.

These findings suggest that individuals tend to seek social feedback that aligns with their self-concept, even when that concept is negative.