Self-concepts and self-concept change: A status dynamic approach

In this article, a new formulation of the self-concept and of self-concept change is presented. This article comprises the following parts: (a) a status dynamic conceptualization of the self-concept, (b) a delineation of the self-concept's many implications for the quality of persons' lives; (c) an analysis of why self-concepts tend nor to change in the face of disconfirming evidence; (d) logical and empirical justifications for preferring the present formulation to existing alternatives; and (e) a presentation of core therapeutic approaches to modifying self-concepts.