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The Self-Concept in Relationships

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Human Motivation and Interpersonal Relationships

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Abstract

After briefly reviewing historical thinking on the self-concept, this chapter considers three contemporary perspectives that seek to understand the link between self-concept and well-being. According to one view, well-being is reflected in consistency of self-concept across contexts, whereas a second view argues that it is authenticity rather than consistency that matters. In a third tradition, well-being is associated with coming closer to one’s personal ideal view of self. Based on self-determination theory (SDT), a model is proposed in which well-being follows when autonomy supportive relationships conduce toward authenticity and convergence between one’s ideal and actual self-concept.

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  1. Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Martin F. Lynch

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Correspondence to Martin F. Lynch .

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom

    Netta Weinstein

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Lynch, M.F. (2014). The Self-Concept in Relationships. In: Weinstein, N. (eds) Human Motivation and Interpersonal Relationships. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8542-6_6

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