Independent Self-Construals

Wendi L. Gardner & Erica Slotter

Self-construal refers to the way in which a person thinks about and defines the self. Importantly, selfconstrual is not only a way of viewing oneself but also a way of understanding one's relationship to the larger social world. When people are construing or thinking about themselves in an independent way, they are likely to think first and foremost about the personality traits (e.g., “I am outgoing”), abilities (e.g., “I am a great cook”), and preferences (e.g., “I love the purple jellybeans but hate the green ones”) that, in combination, create a profile of the self that is uniquely their own. An independent self-construal, because of its emphasis on internal and distinctive personal characteristics, is thus one in which the self is seen as a unique individual, fundamentally separate from others. Interestingly, thinking of the self in this independent way has been shown to have a profound influence on both cognition ...

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