Measuring the effects of self-awareness: Construction of the Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire

Dispositional self-awareness is conceptualized in several different ways, including insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness, with the latter in particular attracting extensive attention in recent research. While self-awareness is generally associated with positive psychological well-being, these different conceptualizations are also each associated with a range of unique outcomes. This two part, mixed methods study aimed to advance understanding of dispositional self-awareness by developing a questionnaire to measure its outcomes. In Study 1, expert focus groups categorized and extended an initial pool of potential items from previous research. In Study 2, these items were reduced to a 38 item self-report questionnaire with four factors representing three beneficial outcomes (reflective self-development, acceptance and proactivity) and one negative outcome (costs). Regression of these outcomes against self-awareness measures revealed that self-reflection and insight predicted beneficial outcomes, rumination predicted reduced benefits and increased costs, and mindfulness predicted both increased proactivity and costs. These studies help to refine the self-awareness concept by identifying the unique outcomes associated with the concepts of self-reflection, insight, reflection, rumination and mindfulness. It can be used in future studies to evaluate and develop awareness-raising techniques to maximize self-awareness benefits while minimizing related costs. peerReviewed publishedVersion

特质性自我意识（dispositional self-awareness）存在多种概念化路径，涵盖自我洞察力（insight）、反思（reflection）、反刍（rumination）与正念（mindfulness），其中正念在近年研究中受到了广泛关注。尽管整体而言自我意识与积极心理福祉存在关联，但上述不同概念化路径各自对应着一系列独特的结果变量。本项两阶段混合方法研究旨在通过开发用于测量特质性自我意识相关结果的问卷，深化对该构念的理解。在研究1中，专家焦点小组对既往研究中初步生成的潜在题项池进行了归类与拓展。研究2中，该题项池被精简为包含38个题项的自陈式问卷，其维度涵盖三类积极结果（反思性自我成长、接纳与主动性）与一类消极结果（代价）。以自我意识测量指标为自变量对上述结果变量开展回归分析后发现：自我反思与自我洞察力可正向预测积极结果；反刍会削弱积极收益并加剧消极代价；而正念则同时能提升主动性与消极代价。本系列研究通过厘清自我反思、自我洞察力、反思、反刍与正念各子概念对应的独特结果，助力完善自我意识的构念体系。该问卷可应用于后续研究，以评估与开发提升自我意识的干预技术，在最大化自我意识积极收益的同时，尽可能降低相关潜在代价。同行评议正式发表版本