This thesis examines the way in which youth between the ages of sixteen and eighteen envision their future possible selves with respect to their possible careers and roles in the community. The youth were recruited from members of the Fusion Youth Activity and Technology Centre (a.k.a. Fusion) in Ingersoll, Ontario; population 12,146 (Statistics Canada, 2011). Situated in the context of small-town youth who attend afterschool activities aimed at providing skills in business, the arts, media and technology, the study asked youth to consider what their future possible selves would look like ten years from now. Using Q-methodology, the participating youth were asked to complete a 55-statement Q-sort with statements relating to careers and community roles generated by a focus group of Fusion youth and from the relevant literature. Using identical statements, the sort was conducted under two conditions of instruction; thinking of your hoped-for self in the future and; thinking of your feared self in the future. Factor analysis was conducted on both sets of Q-sorts (hoped-for and feared) and three factors were extracted for each. In keeping with Q-methodology, composite sorts were generated giving three distinct profiles of statement placement for each of the hoped-for and feared selves. Hoped-for profiles included community-minded professionals, independent creatives and no-plan dreamers. Feared self profiles included, disengaged problem citizens, trapped labourers and unhappy average citizens. These six different viewpoints of their possible futures indicate that youth see their futures (both good and bad) very differently and that their career foci and community involvement hopes and fears are far from homogeneous. This opens an opportunity for youth programs like Fusion to develop programming specific to these groups that may help to make hoped-for selves the more probable outcome.

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Two studies based on one online randomized controlled trial examined the effects of sport gain-framed messages (Rothman & Salovey, 1997) and a sport possible self (Murru & Martin Ginis, 2010) protocol on indices of possible self activation and elaboration, sport intention, and sport activity. 244 non-sporting adults (M = 50.59, 40-59 yrs) completed baseline/screening measures (T1), a gain-framed experimental/control intervention one week later (T2), and follow-up measures (T3) four weeks after T2. Study 1 showed gain-framed participants most frequently attended to a health and fitness message, more frequently described a possible self, and elaborated more on their possible selves (especially about delaying aging and developing friendships through sport). Study 2 indicated that gain-framed individuals requested more sport newsletters and registered for more sport programs. From T1 to T2, gain-framed conditions facilitated increased intentions for those with low approach motivation, whereas control conditions improved intentions for individuals with high approach motivation.

After immigrating to Canada, some foreign-trained professional women (FTPWs) enrol in adult high schoollevel upgrading to begin to reestablish their careers if their international credentials are unrecognized. To explore this phenomenon, the theoretical framework of possible selves was used as a mechanism to examine the effect of context (i.e., upgrading) on their personally relevant goals. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with four FTPWs who attended two postsecondary institutes in central Alberta. The participants salient possible selves were related to familial duties and employment; they viewed upgrading as a mechanism to work toward these hoped-for selves. Upgrading was also found to increase the number of and clarify their hoped-for selves. Because of the significant impact of immigration on the participants possible selves, upgrading should also include referrals to immigration services and support for the credential assessment process, help to build confidence, and encourage the development of social networks for immigrants.

abstract: Possible selves research has focused primarily on academic achievement and student learning, for at-risk, adolescent or college aged students. The research has not examined an occupation possible self, nor the implications of how time is considered by incarcerated populations. This study was designed to expand the Possible Selves Questionaire (PSQ) designed by Oyserman for an occupational achievement code and explore any unique codes present for incarcerated young adult males, aged 18-22. Additionally, this study was designed to compare two distinct time horizons for incarcerated young adults, a more proximal one-year event which would represent continued incarceration and a post-release distal time horizon. A pilot study was conducted to establish the occupation and population codes, coding system, member checks and review processes that were then applied to interview 126 incarcerated young adult males between the ages of 18 and 22 in Arizona correctional facilities. The study produced not only an occupational achievement code, but also refined codes for interpersonal relationships requiring the addition of a spiritual/social code to account for church activities, religion, and spiritual groups, while narrowing the existing interpersonal relationships code to focus on family, children, a spouse or partner. Analysis demonstrated that incarcerated young adults create fewer identified strategies and have fewer aligned strategies to achieve post-release goals. Time served and expected sentences were determined to be significantly associated with the identification of goals, strategies, and development of aligned strategies. The impact of the different time horizon events of during and post incarceration were significant as well, participants identified five times as many goals one year from now in comparison to post-release, and on average 1.5 more strategies to achieve identified goals. The study demonstrated that the participants expected sentence was a significantly associated covariate to the number of Future Possible Selves’(FPS) defined, number of strategies defined to achieve those FPS goals, and number of aligned strategies to FPS goals across time horizons of 1 year and post release. However, time served was only found to be a statistically significant covariate for both goal identification and strategy identification, not strategy alignment. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Psychology 2016

Possible selves är en dynamisk del av självkonceptet. Internationella studier har pekat på att akademiska possible selves kan vara en viktig förklaring till skillnader i skolresultat mellan olika socioekonomiska grupper. Dessa skillnader är högst aktuella i en svensk kontext. Samtidigt har sådana studier inte genomförts i Sverige. Avsikten med föreliggande kvalitativa studie var att studera hurpojkar från socioekonomiskt utsatta miljöer konstruerar skolans betydelse för sin självbild genom sina akademiska possible selves. Sju respondenter intervjuades och materialet analyserades med en Interpretativ Fenomenologisk Analys (IPA).Analysen frambringade fyra huvudteman: Social identitet som akademiskt jag; Svenska skolan som en möjlighet till klassresa – en välsignelse eller börda?; Självförstärkande strategier samt; Förlitande till lärarinteraktion som självreglerande funktion. Resultaten är i linje med tidigare forskning. Materialet pekar på att svårigheterna för ungdomarna att lyckas akademiskt ligger i en oförmåga till att självreglera sitt beteende så att det är i linje med akademiska possible selves. Resultaten är unika i avseendet att de visar att pojkarna förlitar sig till lärare som självreglerande funktion.

abstract: Possible selves researchers have uncovered many issues associated with the current possible selves measures. For instance, one of the most famous possible selves measures, Oyserman (2004)'s open-ended possible selves, has proven to be difficult to score reliably and also involves laborious scoring procedures. Therefore, this study was initiated to develop a close-ended measure, called the Persistent Academic Possible Selves Scale for Adolescents (PAPSS), that meets these challenges. The PAPSS integrates possible selves theories (personal and social identities) and educational psychology (self-regulation in social cognitive theory). Four hundred and ninety five junior high and high school students participated in the validation study of the PAPSS. I conducted confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) to compare fit for a baseline model to the hypothesized models using Mplus version 7 (Muthén & Muthén, 2012). A weighted least square means and a variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimation method was used for handling multivariate nonnormality of ordered categorical data. The final PAPSS has validity evidence based on the internal structure. The factor structure is composed of three goal-driven factors, one self-regulated factor that focuses on peers, and four self-regulated factors that emphasize the self. Oyserman (2004)'s open-ended questionnaire was used for exploring the evidence of convergent validity. Many issues regarding Oyserman (2003)'s instructions were found during the coding process of academic plausibility. It was complicated to detect hidden academic possible selves and strategies from non-academic possible selves and strategies. Also, interpersonal related strategies were over weighted in the scoring process compared to interpersonal related academic possible selves. The study results uncovered that all of the academic goal-related factors in the PAPSS are significantly related to academic plausibility in a positive direction. However, self-regulated factors in the PAPSS are not. The correlation results between the self-regulated factors and academic plausibility do not provide the evidence of convergent validity. Theoretical and methodological explanations for the test results are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Psychology 2013

Retirement affords retirees increased time for participation in salutary activities like physical activity. Yet, evidence is mixed as to whether or not retirees use this time to increase their participation in physical activity. Greater knowledge of the factors affecting physical activity participation in retirement is needed. Retirement is also a life transition ripe with opportunity to redefine one's identity and place greater attention on health-enhancing behaviours. Thereupon, this dissertation was rooted in the self literature, as self perceptions such as identity and possible selves may be particularly relevant for understanding physical activity in retired individuals. As a result, the first aim of this dissertation sought to confirm, in a preliminary study (Study 1), the relationship between possible selves, physical activity identity and physical activity in retirees. Through questionnaire data collected concurrently, Study 1 showed that identity and possible selves were related to physical activity (Article 1). Moreover, positive associations were found between possible selves focused on physical activity and physical activity identity. Subsequently, the relationships between these variables were further probed to determine whether exercise identity mediated the relationship between physical activity possible selves and physical activity (Article 2). Questionnaire data collected across three time points (one month apart) showed that identity mediated the relationship between possible selves and behaviour - all related to physical activity. Together, these findings represented an important first step toward designing a relevant intervention for retirees which informed the second aim of this dissertation (Study 2). A possible selves intervention designed to increase physical activity identity and physical activity was tested (Article 3). Changes in these variables were compared across three groups of an experimental design: a repeated possible selves intervention, a one-time possible selves intervention, and a control group. All groups reported marginally higher levels of physical activity and physical activity identity, inconsequential to group assignment. Overall, the present dissertation makes contributions to the self literature especially with regards to new retirees. Nevertheless, limitations are acknowledged and discussed. Finally, future research avenues are presented.

Cette thèse s’intéresse au pouvoir motivationnel des sois possibles (SP) et à leur rôle dans la régulation des performances. Nous présentons d'abord le concept de SP, proposé par Markus et Nurius (1986), ainsi que les différentes méthodes existantes pour mesurer ou manipuler ces éléments du concept de soi tournés vers le futur. Après avoir fait état de la littérature sur les variables susceptibles de moduler l’impact motivationnel des SP, notre recherche se décline endeux axes, visant chacun à examiner expérimentalement le rôle d’un élément dont l’influence supposée manque encore de soutiens empiriques. Les quatre premières études s’attachent ainsi à mettre en évidence l’intérêt motivationnel des SP équilibrés, c’est-à-dire de l’association entre un soi positif et un soi négatif dans le même domaine. Malgré des tentatives d’opérationnalisation diverses – recueil par questionnaire, induction par imagerie mentale ou emploi d’un journal de bord – ces études ne permettent pas de confirmer un bénéfice des SP équilibrés, et questionnent la pertinence même de cette notion. Les quatre études du second axe de recherche examinent l’impact du degré d’élaboration d’un SP en tentant de dissocier les effets de plusieurs variables potentiellement confondues dans la littérature : le caractère détaillé du SP, sa charge émotionnelle, les stratégies associées et son niveau de spécificité. Si certains résultats obtenus dans ce cadrerestent à approfondir, le parallèle observé avec les résultats des travaux sur la mémoire autobiographique quant aux effets de la spécificité des SP est particulièrement intéressant. Les limites et les perspectives appliquées de ce travail sont enfin discutées / The aim of this thesis is to study the motivational power of possible selves (PS) and their influence on performance. We will first introduce the concept of PS, suggested by Markus and Nurius (1986), as well as the methods used to measure or manipulate these future-oriented elements of the selfconcept, and existing literature on the variables which may modulate the motivational impact of PS will be presented. Our study is then organized within two programs of research, each one aiming to experimentally investigate an element of PS whose potential influence has not yet received much empirical support. The first four studies seek to highlight the motivational value of balanced PS, the association of a positive and a negative self in the same domain. Despite various attempts to operationalise balanced PS, through the use of an open-ended questionnaire, mental imagery or a daily diary, these studies fail to demonstrate the benefit of this concept and lead to question its very relevance. The last four studies examine the influence of the degree of elaboration of the PS.They aim to separate several confounding variables: the level of detail of a PS, its emotional charge, associated strategies and its level of specificity. Even though some of the results will need to be further explored, an interesting parallel with the research on autobiographical memory is highlighted regarding the effects of specificity. Finally, the limits and applied perspectives of this research are discussed.

Människors yrkesval och syn på framtida arbetsliv influeras av olika faktorer som i sin tur har formats av evolutionen eller den sociala omgivningen. Människans kognitiva förmågor är ett av elementen som påverkar yrkesvalsprocessen, men är också kanske en bidragande orsak till könssegregeringen på arbetsmarknaden. Hur människor ser sig själva i den framtida yrkesrollen kan också vara en anledning till varför det finns en könsskillnad på arbetsmarknaden. Markus and Nurius (1987) har myntat begreppet ”Possible self”, vilket de definierade som självbilden i framtida situationer. Syftet med det här examensarbetet var att undersöka om det skiljer mellan män och kvinnors possible selves när det gäller deras syn på framtida arbetsliv. Mätinstrumentet som användes i studien var The possible self statement test. Resultatet visade att männens och kvinnornas possible selves om arbetslivet var ganska lika, endast två av 24 jämförelser åskådliggjorde signifikanta värden. Det som visade på signifikans (p<,05) var kategori Position med skalan för hur mycket försöksdeltagaren anser sig kunna påverka att det angivna possible self ska inträffar samt kategori Utveckling och stimulans med skalan för negativa känslor gentemot det angivna possible self.