Symbolic self-completion

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The theory of symbolic self-completion ( Robert A. Wicklund , Peter M. Gollwitzer , 1982) is based on the problems that are caused by discrepancies between self-image and ideal image .

In this way, self-related goals that have not yet been achieved can be represented by suitable symbols that serve as substitute goals.

Examples:

  • Business success can be expressed through a great car. So a big car would be a typical suitable symbol for this.
  • Academic titles are useful symbols to pretend to be a good researcher / scientist, even if you have had little recent success in your subject.

Symbols of self-portrayal can be self-descriptions, social influences on others, or thing-like symbols . Self-descriptions by symbolically incomplete people usually do not contain any admitted errors. Social influences emanate from symbolically incomplete people who want to influence others with regard to their own goals that have not been achieved, i.e. who see their own standards as pointing the way.

The theory of symbolic self-completion consists of three postulates :

  1. Symbolically incomplete persons display substitute symbols.
  2. The success of substitute symbols is tied to social awareness, so it requires confirmation.
  3. Symbolically incomplete persons do not consider the recipients of the self-complementary actions.

literature

  • Robert A. Wicklund, Peter M. Gollwitzer : Symbolic self-completion. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale NJ et al. 1982, ISBN 0-89859-213-5 .
  • Robert A. Wicklund, Peter M. Gollwitzer: Symbolic self-completion. In: Dieter Frey , Martin Irle (Hrsg.): Theories of social psychology. Volume 3: Theories of motivation and information processing. Huber, Stuttgart et al. 1985, ISBN 3-456-81395-3 , pp. 31-55.
  • Peter M. Gollwitzer, Paschal Sheeran, Verena Michalski, Andrea E. Seifert: When intentions go public: Does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap? In: Psychological Science . tape 20 , no. 5 , 2009, p. 612-618 , doi : 10.1111 / j.1467-9280.2009.02336.x .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Erika Spieß: Consumer Psychology. Oldenbourg, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-486-71531-6 , p. 42.
  2. ↑ Rolf Oerter : Developmental Psychology Basics. In: Günter Esser (Ed.): Textbook of clinical psychology and psychotherapy in children and adolescents. 4th, unchanged edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-126084-0 , pp. 3–12, here p. 5.
  3. ^ Karl-Nikolaus Peifer : Individuality in civil law. The protection of personal, objective and competitive individuality in personal rights, intellectual property law and company law (= Jus privatum. Vol. 52). Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2001, ISBN 3-16-147500-3 , p. 194, (at the same time: Kiel, Universität, habilitation paper, 2000).