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Age and the Spontaneous Self‐concept 1
Author(s) -
KITE MARY E.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1992.tb00979.x
Subject(s) - optimal distinctiveness theory , psychology , dimension (graph theory) , social psychology , combinatorics , mathematics
The distinctiveness hypothesis proposes that self‐definitions are influenced by those aspects of the self which make us different from the majority (e. g., MGuire, 1982). This research supports the hypothesis that students of nontraditional college age, who are a minority on this dimension, should be more likely to mention age in their spontaneous self‐descriptions than students of traditional college age or college faculty members. Possible consequences of being a minority on this dimension are discussed.