Further Contrasts Between Self-Reflectiveness and Internal State Awareness Factors of Private Self-Consciousness

Abstract

Although widely used as a unitary measure of self-focused attention, the Private Self-Consciousness subscale (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss, 1975) contains two factors. In the present study, this subscale and its self-reflectiveness (SR) factor predicted greater shame, guilt, other-directedness, and social anxiety; but the internal state awareness (ISA) factor displayed relationships that were in the opposite direction. Contrasts between SR and ISA often became more obvious in partial correlations, when one factor was examined while controlling for the other. In relationships with personal and social identity, SR appeared to reflect public as much as private self-consciousness. These data support recent suggestions that it may be necessary to construct more adequate measures of private self-consciousness.