Updated 5/29/08
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Research Interests Updated 5/29/08
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Erin E. Hardin Home > Research Interests
| My research program
focuses on the self and the implications of individuals’ perceptions of
themselves for their well-being and development. This research is guided by
questions about the effects of how individuals see themselves in relation to
others (e.g., as separate individuals or connected group members), the level of
congruence between individuals’ various selves (e.g., who they are and who they
want to be), and individuals’ susceptibility to messages from significant others
or society about their abilities. In answering these questions, I am
particularly interested in cultural differences in the self and the role of the
self in vocational development. My research is theoretically grounded,
methodologically rigorous, and increasingly practically relevant.
The two primary domains of my research continue to be
self-construal (Markus & Kitayama, 1991)
and self-discrepancies (Higgins, 1987). I have also recently added a
related third line of research related to implicit theories of
intelligence. A
detailed description of my current research
program is below.
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Information about the Integrated Self-Discrepancy Index (ISDI) |
Detailed description of research program
Self-construal
Implicit theories of intelligence
Self-discrepancies
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Self-construal
In the domain of self-construal, I am pursuing two tracks. The first is investigation of the structure and measurement of self-construal. Data from two studies (Hardin, 2006; Hardin, Leong, & Bhagwat, 2004) indicate that self-construal, as measured by the Self-Construal Scale (Singelis, 1994) is a multidimensional construct reflecting specific aspects of independence and interdependence. This line of research suggests that improved measures of self-construal are needed that capture the multidimensional nature of the construct, allowing for a more sophisticated understanding of this important construct in cross-cultural psychology.
The second track I am pursuing with self-construal continues my earlier work examining the implications of self-construal for culturally appropriate theory and practice, particularly related to vocational psychology (Hardin, Leong, & Osipow, 2001). With several of my students, for example, I have examined the effects of self-construal and gender on how anxiety impedes career exploration among college students (Hardin, Varghese, Tran, & Carlson, 2006) and am currently analyzing data from a follow-up study (Varghese, Hardin, & Hoang, in preparation). Self-construal also figures prominently in three ongoing theoretical projects: an invited presentation at the Society for Vocational Psychology’s 2007 conference (and subsequent book chapter) on Culture and Self in Vocational Psychology, an invited book chapter on independent and interdependent self-construals (Cross, Hardin, and Gercek-Swing, in press), and recent presentations on the cultural validity of vocational theories (Hardin, 2007, 2008; Robitschek, Ashton, & Hardin, 2008).
Self
and Career: Implicit Theories of Intelligence
Extending my work on the self in vocational development to a more applied context, I have recently investigated how changing internalized self-relevant messages (e.g., about one’s abilities) affects career related behavior. This research is an extension of Carol Dweck's work on implicit theories of intelligence (e.g., Dweck & Leggett, 1988) and interventions to change implicit theories to enhance academic performance (e.g., Aronson, Fried, & Good, 2002; Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht, 2003). My lab recently completed a pilot study in which undergraduates randomly assigned to receive the intervention demonstrated greater academic identification, higher career exploration plans, and greater career decision-making self-efficacy than control participants (Hardin, Blue, & Friedman, 2008). Our goal is to develop a combined academic and vocational intervention program that will match TTU undergraduate student mentors with academically at-risk middle and high school students in Lubbock. I recently submitted an extramural grant proposal to fund the development of this intervention program and we have begun collecting pilot data in a local high school and middle school.
Self-discrepancies
By investigating how internalized messages from others affect beliefs about one’s actual academic abilities and vocational future, this work provides a bridge to my other line of research, which investigates self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987) in clinically-relevant and culturally-sensitive contexts. My research on self-discrepancies not only advances our theoretical understanding of how and for whom self-discrepancies predict affect (e.g., Hardin & Leong, 2005), but also informs clinical practice by suggesting, for example, that the common focus on helping clients self-actualize and attain their ideal selves needs to be balanced with a focus on helping clients recognize the extent to which they already like who they are (Hardin & Larsen, 2006; Hardin & Larsen, in preparation), a message that is consistent with counseling psychology’s strengths-based focus. Extending such research to a more applied context, my lab is beginning data collection with clinical samples to investigate how the relationship between self-discrepancies and affect changes during the course of successful therapy. I have also integrated my research on self-discrepancies with Robitschek’s (1998) research on Personal Growth Initiative (Hardin, Weigold, Robitschek, & Nixon, 2007). Supporting this research on self-discrepancies, I have developed a method for assessing self-discrepancies that addresses many of the criticisms of existing measures, the Integrated Self-Discrepancy Index (Hardin & Lakin, manuscript in press).
Scholarship
of Teaching and Learning
Finally, a peripheral line of research that I have begun to develop since arriving at Texas Tech is in the scholarship of teaching and learning, facilitated by my role as faculty coordinator of the General Psychology program. In light of my interests in the self and in instructor training, I am particularly interested in focusing on such instructor variables in future research on the scholarship of teaching and learning.
References
Aronson, J., Fried, C. B., & Good, C. (2002). Reducing the Effects of Stereotype Threat on African American College Students by Shaping Theories of Intelligence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 113–125.
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78, 246 – 263.
Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95, 256 – 273.
Good, C., Aronson, J. & Inzlicht, M. (2003). Improving adolescents’ test performance: An intervention to reduce the effects of stereotype threat. Applied Developmental Psychology, 24, 645 – 662.
Hardin, E. E. (2006). Convergent evidence for the multidimensionality of self-construal. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37, 516 - 521.
Hardin, E. E. (2007). Presentation software in the college classroom: Don’t forget the instructor. Teaching of Psychology, 34, 53 - 57.
Hardin, E. E. (2008, March). Theoretical approaches and their efficacy with diverse populations: Holland’s Theory. Invited paper presented at the Society for Vocational Psychology pre-conference at the International Counseling Psychology Conference, Chicago, IL.
Hardin, E. E., Blue, T., & Friedman, A. (2008, March). Changing views of intelligence: Effects on career exploration. Poster presented at the International Counseling Psychology Conference, Chicago, IL.
Hardin, E. E. & Lakin, J. (in press). The Integrated Self-discrepancy Index: A Reliable and Valid Measure of Self-Discrepancies. Journal of Personality Assessment.
Hardin, E. E. & Larsen, J. T. (in preparation). Is happiness being who you want to be or liking who you are? Manuscript in preparation.
Hardin, E. E. & Larsen, J. T. (2006, August). Is Happiness Being Who You Want to Be or Liking Who You Are? Poster presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
Hardin, E. E. & Leong, F. T. L. (2005). Optimism and pessimism as mediators of the relations between self-discrepancies and distress among Asian and European Americans. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 25 - 35.
Hardin, E. E., Leong, F. T. L., & Bhagwat, A. (2004). Factor structure of the Self-Construal Scale: Implications for the multi-dimensionality of self-construal. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35, 327 - 345.
Hardin, E. E., Leong, F. T. L., & Osipow, S. H. (2001). Cultural Relativity in the Conceptualization of Career Maturity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58, 36 - 52.
Hardin, E. E., Varghese, F. V., Tran, U. V., & Carlson, A. Z. (2006). Anxiety and career exploration: Gender differences in the role of self-construal. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69, 346 - 358.
Hardin, E. E., Weigold I. K., Robitschek, C., & Nixon, A. E. (2007). Self-discrepancy and distress: The role of Personal Growth Initiative. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54, 86 - 92.
Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94, 319–340.
Markus, H. R. & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224 – 253.
Robitschek, C. (1998). Personal growth initiative: The construct and its measure. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 30, 183–198.
Robitschek, C., Ashton, M., & Hardin, E. E. (2008, March). Applying a Culturally Expanded Perspective of Super’s Theory to Latinas/os. In E. E. Hardin (Chair), Applying Culturally Expanded Perspectives of Traditional Career Theories with Latinas/os. Symposium presented at the International Counseling Psychology Conference, Chicago, IL.
Singelis, T. M. (1994). The measurement of independent and interdependent self-construals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 580-591.
Varghese, F. V., Hardin, E. E., & Hoang, U. V. (in preparation). Social anxiety, interdependence, and career exploration among graduating seniors. Manuscript in preparation.
Members of the Hardin Research Lab, 2007-2008
Members of the Hardin Research Lab, 2006-2007
Members of the Hardin Research Lab, 2004-2005
