Lost possible selves as the presence of the past in the present

Authors

  • Marina Avanesyan St. Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation
  • Ksenia Denisenko St. Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2022.208

Abstract

Lost possible selves are a relatively new concept developed within the framework of the Pos- sible Selves proposed by H. Markus and P. Nurius. Lost possible selves were studied in young adults aged 20 to 42 (N = 59). The purpose was to clarify the content of the concept of “Lost Possible Selves”, as well as to describe the forms of their representation in connection with cognitive strategies for constructing identity. We used the method based on the methodology of K. Hooker, the questionnaire of identity styles by M. Berzonsky (ISI-5), the methodology for assessing five-year intervals by A. A. Kronik, E. I. Golovakha. Lost possible selves were conven- tional in nature and concerned with the main tasks of early adulthood: primarily the areas of career, relationships and education. Lost selves were neutral or pessimistic in tone, descriptive, and less often narrative. Three types of temporal orientation of lost possible selves have been identified: with a focus on the present; focus on returning to the “good” past or changing the “bad” past; timeless orientation. The frequency of appealing to the lost self is related neither to the ability for its realization nor to the probability of its realization, but it is connected with the emotional attitude (regret, difficulty of refusal, importance). The neutral tone of the story about the lost self was associated with the normative identity construction style: the more the respondents adhered to socially desirable norms, family traditions, the more neutrally they described the lost possible selves. People with a normative style of identity construction and people who feel their past is less saturated were more confident that in the future they could realize the lost self. The ability to realize the lost self, therefore, has the largest number of rela- tionships compared to its other characteristics.

Keywords:

lost possible selves, identity construction style, temporal orientation, subjective realization

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
 

Author Biographies

Marina Avanesyan, St. Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

 PhD in Psy

Ksenia Denisenko, St. Petersburg State University, 7–9, Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

Master in Psychology

References

Литература

Анцыферова Л. И. Развитие личности и проблемы геронтопсихологии. М.: Ин-т психологии РАН, 2006.

Василюк Ф. Е. Понимающая психотерапия: опыт построения психотехнической системы // Гуманитарные исследования в психотерапии: труды по психотерапии и психологическому консультированию. М.: Психологический институт РАО; МГППУ, 2007. Вып. 1. С. 159–203.

Волченкова Е. А., Молчанова О. Н. Потерянные возможные Я: содержание и связь с психологическим благополучием // Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Психология. 2019. Т. 9, № 3. С. 295–310. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2019.306

Гришутина М. М., Костенко В. Ю. Возможное и невозможное Я: уточнение конструктов // Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Психология. 2019. Т. 9, № 3. С. 268–279. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2019.304

Зайцева Ю. Е., Исаева А. Н. Временнáя перспектива у лиц с различными стилями конструирования личностной идентичности // Научные исследования выпускников факультета психологии СПбГУ / под ред. А. В. Шаболтас. 2014. Вып. 3. С. 110–116.

Костенко В. Ю., Гришутина М. М. Невозможное Я: предварительное исследование в контексте теории Хейзел Маркус // Пензенский психологический вестник. 2018. № 1. https://doi.org/10.17689/psy-2018.1.8

Кроник А. А., Ахмеров Р. А. Каузометрия. Методы самопознания, психодиагностики и психотерапии в психологии жизненного пути. М.: Смысл, 2008.

Левин К. Теория поля в социальных науках. СПб.: Речь, 2000.

Панченкова О. В., Серкин В. П. Незамужество женщин среднего возраста как фактор сценариев и неврозов отложенной жизни // Личность в экстремальных условиях и кризисных ситуациях жизнедеятельности. 2017. № 7. С. 186–193.

Прохазка Д., Норкросс Дж., ди Клементе К. Психология позитивных изменений. Как навсегда избавиться от вредных привычек. М.: Манн, Иванов и Фербер, 2013.

Сапогова Е. Е. Преодоление лиминальности как способ личностного жизнетворчества // Культурно- историческая психология. 2009. № 1. C. 49–56.

Уайт М. Карты нарративной практики: Введение в нарративную терапию. М.: Генезис, 2010.

Хиллман Дж. Архетипическая психология. СПб.: БСК, 1996.

Ялом И. Экзистенциальная психотерапия. М.: Класс, 1999.

Athens L. Dramatic self-change // The Sociological Quarterly. 1995. No. 36 (3). P. 571–586

Cummings N. A. Turning bread into stones: Our modern antimiracle // American Psychologist. 1979. No. 34 (12). P. 1119–1129.

Davydenko M., Werner K. M., Milyavskaya M. Frozen goals: Identifying and defining a new type of goal // Collabra: Psychology. 2019. No. 5 (1). P. 17. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.194

Markus H., Nurius P. Possible selves // American Psychologist. 1986. Vol. 41, no. 9. P. 954–969. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.41.9.954

King L. A., Hicks J. A. Whatever happened to “What might have been”? Regrets, happiness, and maturity // The American psychologist. 2007, October; no. 62 (7). P. 625–636. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.7.625

King L. A., Raspin C. Lost and found possible selves, subjective well-being, and ego development in divorced women // Journal of Personality. 2004, June; no. 72 (3). P. 603–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00274.x

Smith B., Sparkes A. Men, sport, and spinal cord injury and narratives of hope // Social Science and Medicine. 2005. No. 61 (5). P. 1095–1105.


References

Athens, L. (1995). Dramatic self-change. The Sociological Quarterly, 36 (3), 571–586.

Antsyferova, L. I. (2006). Personal Development and Problems of Gerontopsychology. Moscow, Institute of Psychology RAS Press. (In Russian)

Cummings, N. A. (1979). Turning bread into stones: Our modern antimiracle. American Psychologist, 34 (12), 1119–1129.

Erikson, M. (2007). The meaning of the future: Toward a more specific definition of possible selves. Review of General Psychology, 11 (4), 348–358. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.11.4.348

Grishutina, M. M., Kostenko, V. Yu. (2019). Possible and impossible “Self ”: clarification of constructs. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 9, 3, 268–279. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2019.304 (In Russian)

Hillman, J. (1996). Archetypal Psychology. St Petersburg, BSK Publ. (In Russian)

King, L. A., Hicks, J. A. (2007). Whatever happened to “What might have been”? Regrets, happiness, and maturity. American Psychologist, October, 62 (7), 625–636. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.62.7.625

King, L. A., Raspin, C. (2004). Lost and found possible selves, subjective well-being, and ego development in divorced women. Journal of Personality, June, 72 (3), 603–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022- 3506.2004.00274.x

Kostenko, V. Yu., Grishutina, M. M. (2018). Impossible me: preliminary research in the context of the theory of Hazel Markus. Penzenskii psikhologicheskii vestnik, 1, 126–148. https://doi.org/10.17689/psy- 2018.1.8 (In Russian)

Kronik, A. A., Akhmerov, R. A. (2008). Causeometry. Methods of Self-Knowledge, Psychodiagnostics and Psychotherapy in the Psychology of the Life Path. Moscow, Smysl Publ. (In Russian)

Markus, H., Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41 (9), 954–969. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.41.9.954

Levin, K. (2000). Field theory in social sciences. St Petersburg, Rech’ Publ. (In Russian)

Panchenkova, O. V., Serkin, V. P. (2017). Unmarriedness of middle-aged women as a factor of scenarios and neuroses of postponed life. Lichnost’ v ekstremal’nykh usloviiakh i krizisnykh situatsiiakh zhiznedeiatel’nosti, 7, 186–193. (In Russian)

Prochazka, D., Norcross, J., di Clemente, K. (2013). Psychology of positive changes. How to get rid of bad habits forever. Moscow, Mann, Ivanov i Ferber Publ. (In Russian)

Sapogova, E. E. (2009). Overcoming liminality as a way of personal life creation. Kul’turno-istoricheskaia psikhologiia, 1, 49–56. (In Russian)

Smith, B., Sparkes, A. (2005). Men, sport, and spinal cord injury and narratives of hope. Social Science and Medicine, 61 (5), 1095–1105.

Vasilyuk, F. E. (2007). Understanding psychotherapy: the experience of building a psychotechnical system. Gumanitarnye issledovaniia v psikhoterapii: trudy po psikhoterapii i psikhologicheskomu konsul’tirovaniiu (pp. 159–203). Moscow, Psychological Institute of RAE Press; MGPPU Press. (In Russian)

Volchenkova, E. A., Molchanova, O. N. (2019). Lost possible “Self ”: content and connection with psychological well-being. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 9 (3), 295–310. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2019.306 (In Russian)

White, M. (2010). Maps of Narrative Practice: An Introduction to Narrative Therapy. Moscow, Genezis Publ. (In Russian)

Downloads

Published

2022-06-30

How to Cite

Avanesyan, M., & Denisenko, K. (2022). Lost possible selves as the presence of the past in the present. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 12(2), 204–218. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2022.208

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Empirical and Experimental Research

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.

Most read articles by the same author(s)