Internal representations of others in self-regulation: A new look at a classic issue

The impact of internal representations of others on self-regulation has rec eived little empirical attention. The current study measured people's own g uides for their behavior and the guides they believed their parents held fo r them and distinguished between: (a) guides perceived as shared between on eself and parents (i.e., identified guides); (b) perceived parental guides not adopted as one's own (i.e., introjected guides); and (c) self-guides in dependent from one's parents. As hypothesized, only identified and independ ent guides significantly predicted emotional and interpersonal functioning. Introjected guides, the "felt presence" of parents within the self-system, did not predict functioning. Significant sex differences were found: Indep endent self-guides predicted emotional and interpersonal problems in men bu t not women; identified self-guides predicted functioning in women but not men. Results are discussed in relation to psychodynamic and relational theo ries of self-development and research on gender differences in socializatio n. The benefits and liabilities of a self-regulatory focus that emphasizes self-other relatedness are discussed.