Table 2 Future research directions
From: A Consensus Statement on self-knowledge conceptualization, measurement, outcomes and changeability
Area | Future direction | Open questions |
|---|---|---|
Conceptualization | Conceptualize the structure and breadth of self-knowledge | Does self-knowledge converge across domains or is it domain-specific? What cognitive or motivational processes explain cross-domain correlations, if they are meaningful? What are additional ways in which a person can know themselves beyond knowledge of broad, relatively stable traits? How can self-knowledge be situated within a broader conceptual and theoretical framework alongside related constructs such as self-concept, self-representation and self-beliefs? |
Measurement | Measure complex and global forms of self-knowledge | How can complex forms of self-knowledge (such as how elaborated a person’s self-knowledge is) be measured? Which domains should be captured in a measure of ‘global’ self-knowledge, if this construct is meaningful? What alternative data sources (such as behavioural traces or autobiographical materials) can provide insights into self-knowledge that complement traditional convergence measures? |
Outcomes | Clarify the outcomes of self-knowledge | How does self-knowledge influence outcomes across life domains? For whom and under what conditions is self-knowledge desirable? To what extent do the outcomes of self-knowledge vary as a function of the level of the underlying trait? What are the distinct effects of rank-order accuracy versus mean-level bias, and of absolute versus idiographic accuracy? By what mechanisms does self-knowledge translate into outcomes? |
Changeability | Elucidate how self-knowledge develops and changes | How does self-knowledge develop across the lifespan? Do short-term changes in self-knowledge consolidate into long-term developmental shifts? What cognitive and motivational processes underlie self-knowledge change? How do intentional versus incidental pathways of change compare? |
