This chapter provides an overview of what is known about content of possible selves and implications of possible selves for outcomes for male and female teens differing in race/ethnicity (African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, and white teens). Although findings are somewhat ambiguated by heterogeneity in time focus (e.g. ‘next year’, ‘when you are an adult’, ‘in five years’...

Possible selves are the part of self that describe a person’s future self. The developed cognitive abilities and hypothetical thinking in adolescence allow them to conceptualize speculate about who they what hope be future. consist two selves, expected (hoped-for possible ) feared (feared selves). can provide an overview adolescent identity motivates their behavior at present. relationship betw...

BACKGROUND Imagining one's future self is a hallmark of adolescence. But imagining is not enough; adolescents must fell that this future is plausibly likely and take action, which may require pragmatic support. Prior research has examined the effect of parental aspirations and expectation on children's possible self, not the effect of their support. AIMS Therefore, this study assessed the rol...

This experiment examined the effects of a possible selves intervention on self-regulatory efficacy and exercise behavior among 19 men and 61 women (M age = 21.43 years, SD = 3.28) who reported exercising fewer than 3 times per week. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition, a hoped-for possible selves intervention condition, or a feared possible selves intervention condition. ...

TWO DECADES OF RESEARCH ON POSSIBLE SELVES AND THE ‘MISSING MALES’ PROBLEM IN CHORAL MUSIC Music education researchers have a lengthy history of examining reasons why individuals seek participation in musical activities. Within that history, however, the concept of ‘possible selves’ (Markus & Nurius, 1986) has received little attention until recently. In the broadest terms, possible selves are ...

Puzzled by the gap between academic attainment and academic possible selves (APSs) among low-income and minority teens, the authors hypothesized that APSs alone are not enough unless linked with plausible strategies, made to feel like "true" selves and connected with social identity. A brief intervention to link APSs with strategies, create a context in which social and personal identities felt...

We investigated associations between spouses' shared possible selves and well-being as a function of their perceptions of collaboration in 61 late-midlife (M = 60 years) and older (M = 72 years) couples dealing with prostate cancer. Spouses completed assessments of possible selves (with shared selves defined as possible selves portraying a similar goal across spouses), psychological well-being,...