An Item Response Theory Analysis Of The Self-Monitoring Scale

The Self-Monitoring Scale (SMS) was investigated utilizing item response theory (IRT). First, IRT models that constrained each of the subscale items to have equal discrimination were fitted to the three subscales of the SMS (Acting, Extraversion, and Other-Directedness). These models were then contrasted with separate models that allowed the discriminations to be estimated freely. For all three subscales, model comparison tests of significance indicated that the unconstrained models were a better fit. Thus, the items of each subscale are differentially related to their respective underlying construct. Implications and recommendations are offered for future psychometric development and implementation of the SMS

PERSONALITY PROCESSES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Conserving Self-Control Strength

Individuals may be motivated to limit their use of self-control resources, especially when they have depleted some of that resource. Expecting to need self-control strength in the future should heighten the motivation to conserve strength. In 4 experiments, it was found that depleted participants who anticipated exerting self-control in the future performed more poorly in an intervening test of self-control than participants who were not depleted, and more poorly than those who did not expect to exert self-control in the future. Conversely, those who conserved strength performed better on tasks that they conserved the strength for as compared with those who did not conserve. The underlying economic or conservation of resource model sheds some light on the operation of self-control strength

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................................5

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENT