Experimentally Increasing Self-Continuity Improves Subjective Well-Being and Protects against Self-Esteem Deterioration from an Ego-Deflating Task. Issue 2 (3rd April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sokol, Yosef; Serper, Mark
• Is Part Of: Identity. Volume 19:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 157
• Page End: 172
• Publication Date: 2019-04-03
• Subjects: Self -- self-continuity -- subjective well-being -- continuous identity -- self-esteem; Personality development -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Identity (Psychology) -- Periodicals; 155.2
• DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2019.1604350
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1528-3488

Abstract

ABSTRACT: 'Self-continuity, ' or 'continuous identity' is the sense of cross-temporal persistence of identity and is associated with positive mood and decreased suicidality. Few studies have examined whether self-continuity is affected by reviewing cross-temporal patterns of personality traits and if increasing self-continuity improves subjective well-being. Study 1 examined the effects of writing about patterns of cross-temporal personality traits and found that this led to increased future self-continuity and reported life satisfaction. Study 2 examined the effects of a structured interview about cross-temporal personality traits and visualizing past/future selves and found that this led to increased future self-continuity, satisfaction with life, positive mood, and less deterioration in self-esteem after an impossible anagram task. These results suggest that increasing self-continuity may improve psychological health and well-being by increasing identity stability.