Private Self-Consciousness, Self-Awareness, and the Reliability of Self-Reports

Two studies found that individuals high in private self-consciousness provide self-reports of greater reliability across time than individuals low in private self-consciousness. In addition, Study 2 found that a successful manipulation of self-awareness did not affect test-retest reliability of self-reports among Ss either high or low in private self-consciousness. The hypothesis that individuals high in private self-consciousness have articulated self-schemata of greater temporal stability than individuals low in private self-consciousness received support. The discussion considers (a) how private selfconsciousness, but not self-awareness, influenced test-retest reliability of self-reports, (b) how private self-consciousness and self-awareness may both influence, albeit differentially, the eriterionrelated validity of self-reports, and (c) the possibility that current models of self-consciousness-selfawareness require reformulation.