Integrating Social and Counseling Psychological Perspectives on the Self

Abstract

Few areas present a more ideal opportunity for dialogue between counseling and social psychologists than the self Both disciplines have contributed significantly to the development of self theories and the design of methodologies suitable for understanding processes and practices relevant to the self However, counseling and social psychologists are finding it increasingly necessary to value and actively initiate interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration in order to prevent cognitive blind spots in understandings of the self In this article, the authors examine impediments to successful bridging of the disciplines and highlight areas ripe for interface within the arenas of professional training and development, theory, practice, methodology, metatheory, and epistemology. More specifically, the authors identify cultural, interpersonal, developmental, motivational, evaluative, regulatory, structural, and vocational aspects of the self that would benefit from collaborative inquiry. Throughout this article, the authors attempt to balance illustrations of the actual and potential applications of knowledge relevant to the self with calls to counseling and social psychologists to work together to ensure the relevance of their self analyses to diverse cultures.