The organization of the self: An alternative focus for psychopathology and behavior change

Abstract

Cognitive theories of psychotherapy have tended to focus on the content of the self-concept as a key determinant in the formation of psychopathology. Studies in the field of cognitive social psychology suggest that people also vary according to the organization of information within the self-concept, and this source of individual difference plays an important role in shaping emotional and behavioral responses to events. A diverse, unrelated, and contextually bound collection of self-conceptions may, at least for some people, be central to emotional health and well-being. These findings challenge the firmly held Western perspective of the universal value of the distinct, separate, but fully integrated self and in doing so lead to some new ways for thinking about the link between the self-concept, psychopathology, and behavioral change.