Mark Snyder self-monitoring

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The theory of self-monitoring according to Mark Snyder was developed in 1974 by the American psychologist Mark Snyder and represents a functionalist approach that examines the extent to which people control their performative expression and thus their self-expression. Although the term self-supervision suggests the supervision of the self, the actual content of the construct is the control of self-expression.

Expressions

Strong self-monitoring

According to Snyder, people with pronounced self-monitoring show a high willingness and ability to present themselves, i.e. to behave socially expected. In addition, they prefer situations with clear demands on their behavior and are considered to be very adept at perceiving the sensitivities of other people and adapting their own self-presentation to them. Overall, there is a tendency towards situation orientation among strong self-monitors.

Weak self-monitoring

People with weak self-monitoring, on the other hand, are often unwilling or unable to comply with social expectations or are not aware of them. They are also more likely to look for situations that correspond to their self-image. Snyder also characterizes people with poor self-monitoring as often withdrawn and very reflective, but also as less attentive to information that enables appropriate self-portrayal in various situations. Overall, there is a tendency towards inclination orientation in weak self-monitoring.

Three core areas of investigation

The aim of self-monitoring according to Mark Snyder is to explain personality structures, which are to be recorded with the help of three core areas:

  1. The function or purpose of a particular behavior
  2. The will of man
  3. How do people try to achieve their will?

In addition to these three core areas, Snyder also places a clear focus on the human environment in his research, since the environment of every human contributes to his or her behavior and thinking.

Five characteristics of self-monitoring

As part of his dissertation in 1974, Snyder published a comprehensive self-description scale for recording self-monitoring. Overall, self-monitoring should therefore cover five features:

  1. concern for appropriateness of social behavior: people's worries and concerns about the appropriateness of their behavior
  2. attention to social comparison information: the attention people attach to social and societal comparisons
  3. ability to control or modify self-presentation: the ability to control or change one's own self-presentation
  4. use of this ability on particular situations: to use this ability in specific situations
  5. cross-situational variability of social behavior: the cross-situational adjustability of one's own social behavior.

criticism

With more and more recent research findings, Snyder's theory of self-monitoring has often been criticized. His concept is considered to be one-factor, since it presents self-monitoring as a uniform feature that varies from low values ​​- i.e. weak self-monitoring to high values ​​- i.e. strong self-monitoring. Today, however, many studies indicate that self-monitoring is a very complex phenomenon that must be divided into at least two components.

In response to this, Lennox and Wolfe developed a bimodal model of self-monitoring in 1984, in which perceptual sensitivity and self-portrayal skills are not automatically associated with a low tendency towards authenticity. They also differentiate between acquisitive and protective styles of self-portrayal. Acquisitive self-promoters strive for social gain and recognition in their interactions, while protective self-promoters always strive to avoid disapproval.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Howard S. Friedman, Miriam W. Schustack: Personality psychology and differential psychology . Pearson Studium Edition 2, Munich 2004
  2. ^ M. Snyder: The self-monitoring of expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1974, p. 529.
  3. ↑ L. Laux: Outline of Psychology: Personality Psychology. Kohlhammer Edition 2, 2007
  4. ↑ L. Laux & K.-H. Renner: Self-monitoring and authenticity: the misunderstood self-promoters. Journal of Differential and Diagnostic Psychology, 23, 2002