The investigation of attitudes towards different groups is crucial for improving intergroup relations and increasing acceptance of diversity. The present research examined the potential of ...metacognitive understanding of cultural self in improving attitudes towards migrants, as individuals reflectively consider their cultural assumptions in evaluating migrants. We tested the effect of individuals’ awareness of culture’s influence on the self (i.e., cultural self-awareness) and how such an effect was moderated by how much individuals’ life experience involved foreign cultures (i.e., multicultural involvement). Study 1 measured American participants’ cultural self-awareness and attitudes towards immigrants. Studies 2 and 3 manipulated Taiwanese participants’ cultural self-awareness and measured their attitudes towards Southeast Asian migrant workers (Studies 2 and 3) and marriage immigrants (Study 3). Results showed that cultural self-awareness had a more positive effect on attitudes towards migrants for low (vs. high) multicultural involvement individuals. The positive role of metacognitive cultural self in intergroup relations and the boundary conditions for such positive effect are discussed.
Self-awareness represents an important aspect of leadership. However, past research on leader self-awareness has focused on one component of self-awareness, self versus others’ ratings, leaving the ...second component, the ability to anticipate the views of others, largely neglected. We examined this second component of self-awareness by focusing on women leaders who have been found to under-predict how others rate them. In two studies, we measured how women leaders anticipate the views of their bosses in regard to their leadership. In Study 1, 194 leaders rated their leadership, were rated by their bosses, and then predicted how their bosses rated their leadership. While we found that women under-predict their boss ratings compared with men, we did not find that boss gender or feedback played a role in this under-prediction. In Study 2, 76 female leaders identified (via open-ended questions) possible reasons and consequences of under-prediction for women in organizations. Results from Study 2 reveal the following: (1) the reasons for women’s under-prediction include a lack of self-confidence, differences in feedback needs, learned gender roles, and self-sexism; and (2) the perceived consequences of under-prediction are negative for both women and the organization.
Self-awareness is an important consideration in cognitive rehabilitation for clinicians working with individuals following acquired brain injury (ABI), with impaired self-awareness linked to poor ...outcomes. To appropriately target assessment and intervention for self-awareness, its theoretical foundation and definition must be considered. The aim was to identify the definitions, theoretical models and conceptual frameworks of self-awareness in adults with ABI, and how self-awareness is conceptualized within those models. A qualitative systematic review was completed using search terms related to descriptions of models/frameworks, ABI and self-awareness. Data were analysed by narrative synthesis. Thirty-five papers were included in the review. Within these, 13 models, 12 conceptual frameworks and 2 theories were described. The main themes and subthemes conceptualized in the synthesis were: Clinical presentation of self-awareness (classifications and dimensions of self-awareness), development of self-awareness (knowledge, feedback mechanisms, temporal aspects, self-evaluation, enablers, barriers), understanding (dys)function (cognitive processing mechanisms, neurological foundations, causal factors), and practice guidance (assessment and intervention). This review identified an extensive theoretical basis to support conceptualization of self-awareness following ABI, underpinned by a distinction between intellectual awareness, on-line awareness, and psychological denial. Clinical application of an evaluation process that includes these elements would be beneficial to inform the rehabilitation process.
Although the ability of autistic adults to recognize others' emotions has been extensively studied, less attention has been given to how they respond to these emotions. We examined two aspects of ...autistic and non‐autistic adults' responsiveness to the emotional expressions of non‐autistic actors: their perspectives on the appropriate way of responding to others' emotions and their awareness of others' perceptions of the likely appropriateness of such responses. Autistic (N = 63) and non‐autistic (N = 67) adult samples viewed videos of 74 dyadic social interactions displaying different examples of 12 emotions expressed by one actor in response to the behavior of the other. After each video, participants (a) nominated the emotion expressed by the first actor, (b) offered their perspective on what would constitute an appropriate empathic response by the second actor, and (c) indicated their confidence in that response. Although the autistic group provided fewer appropriate empathic responses—operationalized via a panel's interpretations of normative responses—than the non‐autistic group, within‐group variability was marked, and the effect was weak and largely confined to basic emotions. Autistic individuals were, however, considerably less confident in their responses. Examination of the relationships between confidence in and the appropriateness of empathic responses provided no indication in either group of reliable discrimination of appropriate from inappropriate empathic responses or finely tuned metacognitive awareness of variations in appropriateness. In sum, autistic adults' perspectives on the appropriate empathic reactions to non‐autistic adults' emotions were not unilaterally or markedly different to those of non‐autistic adults.
Lay Summary
It is often suggested that autistic individuals may have difficulty responding empathically to other people's emotions. However, little is known about autistic individuals' perspectives on what might be the appropriate way to do so. This study indicates that, despite some minor differences, autistic adults' perspectives on the appropriate way to react to interaction partners' emotions are quite similar to those of their non‐autistic peers.
Mindfulness-as a state, trait, process, type of meditation, and intervention has proven to be beneficial across a diverse group of psychological disorders as well as for general stress reduction. ...Yet, there remains a lack of clarity in the operationalization of this construct, and underlying mechanisms. Here, we provide an integrative theoretical framework and systems-based neurobiological model that explains the mechanisms by which mindfulness reduces biases related to self-processing and creates a sustainable healthy mind. Mindfulness is described through systematic mental training that develops meta-awareness (self-awareness), an ability to effectively modulate one's behavior (self-regulation), and a positive relationship between self and other that transcends self-focused needs and increases prosocial characteristics (self-transcendence). This framework of self-awareness, -regulation, and -transcendence (S-ART) illustrates a method for becoming aware of the conditions that cause (and remove) distortions or biases. The development of S-ART through meditation is proposed to modulate self-specifying and narrative self-networks through an integrative fronto-parietal control network. Relevant perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral neuropsychological processes are highlighted as supporting mechanisms for S-ART, including intention and motivation, attention regulation, emotion regulation, extinction and reconsolidation, prosociality, non-attachment, and decentering. The S-ART framework and neurobiological model is based on our growing understanding of the mechanisms for neurocognition, empirical literature, and through dismantling the specific meditation practices thought to cultivate mindfulness. The proposed framework will inform future research in the contemplative sciences and target specific areas for development in the treatment of psychological disorders.
Objective
To examine the effectiveness of a writing assignment that required undergraduate students in a diversity course to explore their family heritage. The purpose of this assignment was to ...increase self‐awareness of students regarding how structural characteristics of ethnicity, race, social class, and religion shaped the contributions family made to their emerging values, beliefs, and attitudes about interacting with others.
Background
Instructors for family diversity courses need more instructional strategies that foster self‐awareness, which is commonly identified as a first step toward developing cultural competency. One such strategy is described in this paper.
Method
A mixed method approach was employed, with both quantitative analysis of the frequency of responses from a course effectiveness survey and a descriptive narrative analysis of the text contained in 36 students' family heritage reflective papers.
Results
Most students reported increased self‐awareness of their family history, racial and ethnic identity, role of social class and religion on socialization, and acknowledged contextual experiences of privilege or discrimination.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that most students deepened their understanding of personal assumptions. They recognized the need to remain open to understanding and showing more empathy toward individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Implications
Our results highlight the opportunity for instructors to be intentional in sequencing instructional activities, promoting respectful peer‐driven learning and dialogue, recognizing students' worldview, and being open to faculty development opportunities.
Background: Relational aspects of self-awareness following Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) are increasingly being recognized. However, research underpinning the nature of the association between ...self-awareness and quality of relationships has yet to be synthesized. Method: Searches, which were completed between February 2022 and February 2023, consisted of combining terms related to ABI, self-awareness, and quality of relationships. Data were analyzed using the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) approach. Results: Associations between self-awareness and relationship quality across eight studies identified for this review differed in direction and significance. A more consistent pattern emerged, however, when studies assessing the quality of specific types of relationships i.e., spousal (N = 1) and therapeutic (N = 3), were compared to studies assessing the quality of a person's broader network of relationships (N = 4). In particular, good awareness was positively associated with the quality of specific relationships (r = 0.66) whereas it was negatively associated with the quality of a person's broader network of relationships (r = −0.35). Conclusion: Results are discussed with consideration given to measures assessing the quality of specific relationships. In particular, such measures may tap into important patterns of interaction between two individuals, such as those related to attunement or communication, which may be valuable preconditions for improving awareness.
Financial decision‐making (FDM) and awareness of the integrity of one's FDM abilities (or financial awareness) are both critical for preventing financial mistakes. We examined the white matter ...correlates of these constructs and hypothesized that the tracts connecting the temporal–frontal regions would be most strongly correlated with both FDM and financial awareness. Overall, 49 healthy older adults were included in the FDM analysis and 44 in the financial awareness analyses. The Objective Financial Competency Assessment Inventory was used to measure FDM. Financial awareness was measured by integrating metacognitive ratings into this inventory and was calculated as the degree of overconfidence or underconfidence. Diffusion tensor imaging data were processed with Tracts Constrained by Underlying Anatomy distributed as part of the FreeSurfer analytic suite, which produced average measures of fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity in 18 white matter tracts along with the overall tract average. As expected, FDM showed the strongest negative associations with average mean diffusivity measure of the superior longitudinal fasciculus ‐temporal (SLFT; r = −.360, p = .011) and ‐parietal (r = −.351, p = .014) tracts. After adjusting for FDM, only the association between financial awareness and average mean diffusivity measure of the right SLFT (r = .310, p = .046) was significant. Overlapping white matter tracts were involved in both FDM and financial awareness. More importantly, these preliminary findings reinforce emerging literature on a unique role of right hemisphere temporal connections in supporting financial awareness.
Financial decision‐making and awareness of the integrity of one's financial decision‐making abilities (or financial awareness) are both critical for preventing financial mistakes. Overlapping white matter tracts were involved in both financial decision‐making and financial awareness. More importantly, our findings reinforce emerging literature on a unique role of right hemisphere temporal connections in supporting financial awareness.
Direct-gaze signals are known to modulate human cognition, including self-awareness. In the present study, we specifically focused on ‘bodily’ self-awareness and examined whether direct gaze would ...modulate one’s interoceptive accuracy (IAcc)—the ability to accurately monitor internal bodily sensations. While viewing a photograph of a frontal face with a direct gaze, an averted face or a mere white cross as a baseline, participants were required to count their heartbeats without taking their pulse. The results showed higher IAcc in the direct-gaze condition than in the averted-face or baseline condition. This was particularly the case in participants with low IAcc at baseline, indicating that direct gaze enhanced the participants’ IAcc. Importantly, their heart rate was not different while viewing the direct gaze and averted face, suggesting that sensitivity to interoceptive signals, rather than physiological arousal, is heightened by direct gaze. These findings demonstrate the role of social signals in our bodily interoceptive processing and support the notion of the social nature of self-awareness.
Autistic people have historically been described as incapable of developing a deeper sense of self-awareness, and autistic understandings of self-awareness have been largely disregarded. The aim of ...this study is to explore the way young autistic adults try to understand their functionality and who they are, or to develop their sense of self-awareness, in work and in private life contexts. In 12 qualitative interviews conducted with four autistic adults without learning difficulties, we identified a rich set of reflections on knowing and accepting oneself. The overarching theme of self-knowledge has three subthemes: learning from previous experiences, learning about oneself by securing the support of others, and understanding and accepting autistic functionality. The strategy of self-knowledge was used by these young adults to help them achieve functional lives in the work and private domains. Our results show that young autistic adults both actively explore and develop their self-awareness. We suggest that it is important for practitioners and employers working with autistic individuals to engage with their journeys of self-awareness as a vital part of understanding and supporting them.
Lay abstract
When researchers and professionals talk about autism, they commonly point out problems and risks with autism or being autistic. Several interventions are based on the idea of the problems and risks of autism. Another way of talking about autism is to point out autistic people’s strengths and strategies which they use to handle barriers and problems in their lives in order to live good lives on their own terms. In this article, the researchers explore how autistic young adults formulate their own difficulties, strengths and support needs in order to get right support from support people. To be able to formulate this, autistic people need to get to know oneself and one’s own way of functioning. Autistic own self-knowledge must be central when formal support people, such as social workers, formulate support and interventions aimed at helping autistic people, in order for the support/intervention to be helpful.
PDF
