The quest for genuine self-knowledge: An investigation into individual differences in the self-insight motive

Abstract

The self-insight motive (SIM; also known under the label self-assessment motive) describes the dispositional tendency to strive for accurate self-knowledge. The current research includes five multimethodological studies (total N = 3667) that comprehensively investigated the SIM’s nomological network, its antecedents, and cognitive-behavioral consequences, comprising longitudinal, round-robin, and population-representative data. Among the personality correlates of the SIM were curiosity, the intimacy and self-improvement motives, private self-consciousness, narcissistic admiration, and openness to experience. Further, the SIM was more pronounced among younger and highly educated people. A key environmental antecedent of the SIM was the instability of life circumstances, in the sense that the motive became stronger after life circumstances had changed. Concerning the cognitive-behavioral consequences, the results suggest that the SIM fosters feedback-seeking behavior. Nevertheless, the motive was not linked to more accurate self-perception across three studies. We discuss several reasons for this unexpected finding.