@article{ref1,
title="Possible Selves and Self-Doubt",
journal="Social psychological and personality science",
year="2011",
author="Carroll, Patrick J. and Arkin, Robert M. and Shade, Courtney K.",
volume="2",
number="2",
pages="190-198",
abstract="Three studies tested whether self-doubt stems more from the absence of a strong desired self or the presence of a strong undesired self. Across studies, participants completed individual difference measures and then imagined a desired, neutral, or undesired possible self and completed strength measures for the imagined possible self. As predicted, compared to low self-doubt participants, high self-doubt participants reported less confidence in imagined desired selves and were slower to respond to desired self-consistent terms; however, they did not differ on explicit (confidence) or implicit (response speed) strength measures for imagined neutral or undesired selves. Moreover, the weaker desired selves imagined by high self-doubt participants predicted lower performance (compared to low self-doubt participants) on a final achievement test. Finally, the interactive effect of self-doubt and imagery on performance held after controlling for self-esteem and self-concept clarity but, consistent with predictions, was mediated by strength of the possible self.<p />",
language="",
issn="1948-5506",
doi="10.1177/1948550610386246",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1948550610386246"
}