On the Nature of Self-Monitoring

In this article we attempt to ascertain the nature of the relationship between self-monitoring and each of two constructs of central importance to personality psychology: identity and adjustment. Previous empirical and theoretical work leaves the relationship between internal and external sources of identity and self-monitoring unclear. Snyder (1979) suggests no correlation exists between self-monitoring and neuroticism (a leading index of maladjustment). Yet, by building on previous work by Block (1961), we argue that adjustment should be related to self-monitoring in an inverted-U fashion. In a study of 268 under graduates, personal sources of identity did not discriminate between high and low self-monitors. On the other hand, social sources of identity were significantly associated with self-monitoring scores. Also found, as predicted, was a curvilinear relationship between self-monitoring and adjustment. A three-way interaction between identity sources and self-monitoring was also significantly associated with adjustment. Unexpectedly, it was the middle self-monitors, who were also low on both personal and social identity, who were most well adjusted. We discuss these various results, draw some implications from them, and suggest their importance for the recently proposed typology of self-monitoring of Gangestad and Snyder (1985).