Table 1 Themes and corresponding consensus ratings from the final stage of the consensus process
From: A Consensus Statement on self-knowledge conceptualization, measurement, outcomes and changeability
Theme | Agreement (%) | Mean (s.d.) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Broad consensus | Strong consensus | ||
Definition | |||
Self-knowledge describes the extent to which a person has accurate perceptions of their own relatively stable characteristics and momentary states (e.g., personality features, abilities, affect, motivations, preferences, physical appearance, behaviors) | 100 | 88.2 | 6.59 (0.71) |
Specificity (S) | |||
S1. Self-knowledge in one domain does not necessarily generalize to other domains | 100 | 100 | 6.82 (0.39) |
S2. Even if self-knowledge is domain-specific to a certain extent, it can be defined at a global level, analogous to the general (g) factor of intelligence | 88.2 | 35.3 | 5.47 (1.18) |
S3. There are certain processes and mechanisms (e.g., biases, motives) that underlie self-knowledge across domains | 100 | 58.8 | 6.06 (0.97) |
Measurement (M) | |||
M1. The measurement of self-knowledge should involve a comparison of self-perceptions with a relevant criterion | 94.1 | 94.1 | 6.65 (0.79) |
M2. The measurement of self-knowledge is challenging because it involves the assessment of two separate constructs (i.e., a self-perceived characteristic and a relevant criterion), plus an index of comparison among the two | 94.1 | 82.4 | 6.35 (1.32) |
M3. What constitutes a relevant criterion depends on the domain and type of self-knowledge one is interested in, but it should match the characteristic in question (e.g., in terms of specificity) | 100 | 94.1 | 6.76 (0.56) |
M4. Some characteristics are directly observable (e.g., height) and can be measured straightforwardly, whereas other characteristics are latent (e.g., personality traits) and require proxies for measurement, thus posing additional challenges for the measurement of self-knowledge | 100 | 100 | 6.94 (0.24) |
Outcomes (O) | |||
O1. More self-knowledge is not always beneficial | 94.1 | 70.6 | 6.18 (1.01) |
O2. Criteria to assess whether self-knowledge is beneficial include, but are not limited to, the level of intrapersonal functioning (e.g., health, subjective well-being), the level of interpersonal functioning (e.g., quality of social relationships), and goal achievement | 100 | 82.4 | 6.47 (0.80) |
Changeability (C) | |||
C1. Self-knowledge is malleable | 100 | 76.5 | 6.41 (0.87) |
C2. In most domains, increasing self-knowledge is difficult | 88.2 | 82.4 | 5.94 (1.09) |
C3a. Changes in self-knowledge can occur through obtaining new information about the self | 100 | 94.1 | 6.59 (0.62) |
C3b. Changes in self-knowledge can occur through obtaining new information about others | 100 | 88.2 | 6.41 (0.71) |
C3c. Changes in self-knowledge can occur through using* existing information about the self and/or others in a different way *(e.g., integrating, interpreting, accessing) | 100 | 94.1 | 6.59 (0.62) |
C3d. Changes in self-knowledge can occur through changing one’s level of the characteristic in question | 88.2 | 70.6 | 6.00 (1.22) |
C4. Self-knowledge can be changed both intentionally (e.g., through self-experimentation) and incidentally (e.g., through experiences) | 100 | 94.1 | 6.65 (0.61) |
