Self-presentational congruence and psychosocial adjustment: A test of three models

People regularly monitor and control the impressions others form of them but differ in the degree to which they both convey impressions that are consistent with their private self-views (self-presentational congruence) and present different images of themselves to different targets (self-presentational variability). This study examined the implications of self-presentational congruence and variability for psychological and social well-being. Participants rated the impressions that they tried to make on nine individuals in their lives and completed measures of psychosocial well-being. Results indicated that self-presentational congruence predicted psychosocial adjustment (higher subjective well-being, social support quality, social efficacy, and self-esteem; and lower anxiety, depression, and loneliness) beyond personality variables such as self-consciousness, fear of negative evaluation, and Machiavellianism. Self-presentational variability across targets also predicted better psychosocial adjustment, with variability across nonintimates being most predictive. Thus, self-presentational flexibility may promote psychosocial well-being as long as people's projected images are reasonably congruent with their private self-views.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark R. Leary Psychology & Neuroscience

Author Philip R. Costanzo Psychology & Neuroscience