Snyder’s Theory Of Self-observation Or Self-monitoring
Mark Snyde’s theory of self-observation r which this author developed together with his famous Self-Observation Scale, tries to explain how the degree to which we adapt our behavior to the social context is related to aspects such as personality or social interaction patterns.
In this article we will analyze the main aspects of self-monitoring theory and the scale that Snyder created to evaluate this construct. We will also briefly explain the applications of this model in areas such as personality psychology, organizational psychology and even anthropology.
In the 1970s, social psychologist Mark Snyder proposed the concept of self-observation, which is often also translated literally as “self-monitoring.” These terms refer to the degree to which people monitor and control our behavior and the image of ourselves that we project in social situations.
By completing the Self-Observation Scale that Snyder himself developed or other similar self-report instruments, a score relative to the level to which an individual monitors his or her behavior can be obtained. Relevant differences have been identified between the group of people with high scores in self-observation and those with a low level.
In this sense Self-observation can be considered a personality trait which would refer to a person’s ability or preference to adapt behavior to the social context in which they find themselves. It is, therefore, a term very close to “spontaneity”, although specific to situations of social interaction.
People who score high on self-monitoring tests exercise strong control over their external behavior and the image of themselves that they project socially; more specifically, adapt to the characteristics of the interaction situation and the interlocutors. The self-image of these people does not always correspond to their behavior.
Those who monitor their behavior a lot tend to conceive social situations from a pragmatic point of view, giving great importance to objectives such as positive feedback or the transmission of an admirable personal image. Snyder describes this trait as desirable, and in some ways pathologizes low self-monitoring.
On the other hand, those who have a low level of self-observation try to maintain coherence between the vision they have of themselves and the one they project to others. Thus, they show consistent social patterns, tend to express their true thoughts, and are not constantly worried about how they may be evaluated.
According to Snyder and other authors, people low in self-observation tend to a greater extent towards anxiety, depression, anger, aggressiveness, low self-esteem, isolation, feelings of guilt, intransigence towards other people or difficulties in maintaining a job. Many of these aspects would be associated with social rejection.
Mark Snyder’s Self-Observation Scale
In 1974, the Snyder Self-Observation Scale appeared, a self-report instrument that evaluates the degree of self-monitoring. This test originally consisted of 25 items, corresponding to statements associated with the facets of self-observation; Later the number was reduced to 18 and the psychometric properties improved.
If the original Snyder scale is used, scores between 0 and 8 are considered low, while scores between 13 and 25 are considered high. Intermediate scores (between 9 and 12) would indicate a medium degree of self-observation.
Some examples of items are “I am not always the person I seem to be”, “I laugh more when I am watching a comedy with other people than if I am alone” or “I am rarely the center of attention in groups”. These sentences must be answered as true or false; some of them score positively, while others score negatively.
Different factor analyzes that were carried out in the 1980s, a time when the Snyder Scale was especially popular, suggested that self-observation would not be a unitary construct, but would be composed of three independent factors: extraversion, orientation towards others and the degree to which social roles are acted out or enacted.
Applications and findings of this psychological model
One of the most common applications of Snyder’s theory of self-observation has taken place in the field of work or organizational psychology. Although initially an attempt was made to defend that people high in self-monitoring are better at a professional level the review of the available literature makes it difficult to support this statement.
Studies reveal that those who obtain high scores on the Snyder Scale tend to have more sexual partners (especially without a particular emotional bond), to be unfaithful more frequently and to prioritize sexual attractiveness. On the other hand, for people low in self-monitoring, personality tends to be more important.
There is another interesting finding that derives from Snyder’s theory and scale and relates to anthropology. According to a study by Gudykunst and colleagues (1989), the level of self-monitoring depends partly on culture; so, while individualistic societies favor high standards in collectivist ones the opposite happens.
