Accepting Self, Accepting others, and Rating Peers Generously1

Abstract

After participating for more than 20 hr. in 58 small groups, 487 undergraduates rated own and each other's within-group behavior separately for acceptance versus rejection of others and of self. Individuals’ ratings by pooled group peers and self agreed substantially, although more strongly for self-accepting than for other-accepting conduct. Despite moderate positive correlations between self-acceptance and acceptance of others, how favorably one rated one's group peers correlated appreciably, consistently, and positively only with acceptance of others, not with acceptance of self.