Who Am I? Let Me Think: Assessing the Considered Self-Concept

My Multiple Selves (MMS) is an open-ended self-concept measure that leads respondents to systematically explore who they are before selecting and rank-ordering their most important selves. A sample of college students (n = 204) completed either the MMS or the frequently used Twenty Statements Test (TST). As predicted, results demonstrated that MMS responses included elements underdetected by the TST: other people, school crowd labels, aspirations for the future, and undesirable selves. Furthermore, the MMS revealed that when other people are included in self, they are rank ordered by participants as the most important element. Shortcomings of the MMS are discussed, and directions for future research outlined.

Automated summary

The study compared the results of the MMS and TST, revealing that MMS captures a more comprehensive range of elements in individuals' self-concepts, including other people, school crowd labels, aspirations for the future, and undesirable selves. It was found that when other people are included in the self-concept, they are ranked as one of the most important elements. The study also discusses the limitations of MMS and provides directions for future research.