Participant-Observer Blog- Becoming Someone Else

I am a relatively self-aware person, and because of this tend to make an effort to make good impressions on other individuals. Being a happy and outgoing person is very much a part of my self-concept. A Self-Concept is a collection of perceptions that a person has about themselves (Markus, 1977). Although my own collection of perceptions is not exactly simple, being extroverted is certainly a primary and important trait to me. My extroversion is exhibited daily, through smiles, constant conversations, e-mails and general inability to stop interacting with friends.
On Tuesday, I chose to challenge my central traits, which are those that are prominent and shape impressions (Asch, 1946), by becoming somewhat of a different person for a day. In order to do so, I chose to go from an outgoing and upbeat person to a withdrawn and somewhat negative individual. In trait terms, I went from being an extroverted individual to an introverted individual. In order to enact these changes, I had to change my behavior in quite a few ways. When others smiled and waved, I gave insincere half-smiles and looked away. I did not stop to talk to close friends, and I chose not to answer most phone calls or text messages, in an effort to close off my usually extensive communication. Overall, I attempted to remain introverted in these ways at work, school, and at home. I was excited to attempt this, but ended up finding it increasingly daunting throughout the day, and was finally left with a small sense of disappointment. It was incredibly difficult to not put on a big smile and hug or greet friends, and it was an even bigger challenge not to have animated discussions with my roommate and other peers. Changing my self-concept in such a dramatic way for a day had a big impact on my interactions throughout the day, and made me feel like a different person, mainly one whom I was not very happy with.
The reactions to my trait changes varied depending on how well the other individuals knew me. Some individuals who first met me on Tuesday, such as work clients, may have committed the Fundamental Attribution Error by assuming that my behavior was due to my introverted personality rather than situational factors (Ross, 1977). However, most of my close friends did not commit the fundamental attribution error, and continuously asked me what had happened to alter my mood. They guessed that I was stressed about school or worried about relationship troubles. Additionally, my boss asked if I was feeling alright, and commented that I was quieter than usual. Based on these reactions, it seemed that my extroversion truly is a central trait of my self-concept, and many individuals that I interact with also perceive extroversion as a central trait of my personality.
I was not surprised about the reactions of others, because it was difficult and awkward for me to act in such a different way. However, I did not anticipate that I would find extroversion to be such an important aspect of my self-concept. I felt like a completely different person when I changed myself for a day, and began to feel melancholy, corresponding with my introverted approach to social interactions. I learned that I rely on my outgoing personality and the effectiveness of my self-presentation, which is the way that people attempt to influence individuals’ perceptions of them (Schlenker, 2003), to create my overall self-concept. I would never consider changing my extroverted nature, primarily because I find that making an effort to interact with peers in a positive way improves my general happiness. Although I do have off-days, and am not outrageously happy, I find that extroversion is a very positive trait to have. Overall, I found that I have a positive self-concept, and am apparently effective with my self-presentation methods, and most importantly am quite comfortable and consistent with my self-concept. My small personality change for a day made my self-concept seem significantly stable, and I found that I am a true extrovert.

References

Asch, S. E. (1946). Forming impressions of personality. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 41, 258-290.

Markus, H. (1977). Self-schemata and processing information about the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 63-78.

Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol 10, pp. 174-221). New York: Academic Press.

Schlenker, B. R. (2003). Self-presentation. In M. R. Leary & J. P. Tangney (Eds.) Handbook of self and identity (pp. 492-518). New York: Guilford.