| Abstract: | An effort is made to extend the scope of the general theory of action to encompass some of the major dimensions of the individual's structure of self-conceptions. This is attempted through formulation of four subjective “senses of self,” one corresponding to each of the functional problems held in action theory to be essential features of all systems. The senses of competence, self-determination, unity, and moral worth are offered as the individual's subjective interpretations of his standing in relation to his objective problems of adaptation, goal-attainment, integration, and pattern-maintenance. It is argued that these four senses subsume and organize many important but scattered themes in the literature of self theory and general symbolic interactionism. Operational, procedures are offered with which these senses may be assessed in empirical research, and some illustrative outcomes are presented from the author's longitudinal study of self-conception changes over the course of retirement. The discussion also touches upon some of the methodological problems encountered in attempting to establish the empirical validation for this kind of theoretical extension. |
