CHAPTER 6 Motivational Facets of the Self In : Richard

Self-evaluation is a potent ene'rgizer of human activity. Behavior can be variably directed at pleasing other people, pleasing oneself, or satisfying the goals, norms, and expectations of important reference groups. In this chapter, we focus on this important, persisting task of achieving a significant audience's favorable evaluation. Central to this treatment is an approach called ego-task analysis, which offers a general framework for analyzing the interaction of situation and personality in determining behavior. A review of the literature on ego-involvement leads to the identdication of three significant evaluative audiences: public, private, and collective. The associated motivational facets of the self are then related to research and theory on social influence, self-awareness/selfcdnsciousness, self-presentation, and self-esteem.