When and why the self-concept changes in response to self-relevant feedback

Brotzeller, Franziska (2025): When and why the self-concept changes in response to self-relevant feedback. Dissertation, LMU München: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

Abstract

Feedback can convey self-relevant information to a person and lead to changes in their self-concept. This dissertation draws on theoretical approaches on changes in the self-concept and reactions to expectation-disconfirming information to contribute to the current understanding of when and why the self-concept changes in response to feedback. Furthermore, this dissertation provides insights into the role of demand effects in studying self-concept change after feedback. This dissertation includes three manuscripts covering nine empirical studies. Findings provide evidence that the self-concept changes more the larger the discrepancy between feedback and initial self-concept. Furthermore, changes in the self-concept were larger after negative compared to positive feedback, regardless of whether it was allegedly possible to improve on the self-concept domain or not. Findings furthermore suggest that reflection is important for self-concept change after discrepant feedback and that findings on feedback-induced self-concept change do not merely result from demand effects, although they played a role under specific conditions. I discuss theoretical implications as well as limitations of this research program and suggest avenues for future research.

• Item Type: Theses (Dissertation, LMU Munich)
• Keywords: self-concept, self-concept change, feedback, negativity bias, reflection, demand effects
• Subjects: 100 Philosophy and Psychology; 100 Philosophy and Psychology > 150 Psychology
• Faculties: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
• Language: English
• Date of oral examination: 5. November 2025
• 1. Referee: Gollwitzer, Mario
• Signature of the printed copy: 0001/UMC 31704