Constructing desirable identities-Self-presentation in psychotherapy and daily life

Comment on Kelly (2000)

Bibliographic Data

ID4419010
AuthorsRobert M Arkin (State Library of Ohio), Anthony D Hermann
Year2000
Volume126
Issue4
Pages501-504
Publication date2000-07-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Bulletin (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2909 • E-ISSN: 1939-1455
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/0033-2909.126.4.501
PMID10900992
OpenAlexW2023636094
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited12

A. E. Kelly's (2000) thesis that psychotherapy clients benefit from withholding negative information is considered in light of current social-psychological theory and research. Positive illusions about oneself are associated with indexes of mental health; this is consistent with treating therapy as positive identity development. Self-presentation can shape self-concept, even apart from the feedback that an audience might provide; the social construction of identity is a powerful process, suggesting that withholding negative and presenting only positive information is adaptive. However, evidence concerning the level of identification of one's actions suggests complexities in understanding ways clients might deal with disclosing negative information; the authors argue that the impact on self-concept is probably more complex than A. E. Kelly's characterization and that the implications are of a broader scope than indicated so far

Aesthetics · Cognitive psychology · Identification (biology) · Identity (music) · Illusion · Presentation (obstetrics) · Process (computing) · Psychotherapist · Scope (computer science) · Self-concept · Social group · Social identity approach · Social identity theory · Cognitive and psychological constructs research · Medicine · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

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