enables them to understand the question and respond immediately. People
without a strong competitive schema are unable to process the information as
quickly.
Much of the early research on self-schemas was based on this reasoning.
Participants in one study were classified as possessing either a strong indepen-
dence schema or a strong dependence schema or as aschematic (Markus,
1977). Later these participants were presented with a series of adjectives ona computer screen. Their task was to press either a ME or a NOT ME buttonto indicate whether the adjective described them. Fifteen of the adjectives
were related to independence (for example, individualistic, outspoken ) and
15 to dependence (for example, conforming, submissive). As Figure 15.3
shows, people with strong independence schemas pressed the ME button
quickly on the independence-related adjectives but took longer to respond on
the dependence-related adjectives. Participants with strong dependence sche-
mas responded in the opposite pattern. Aschematics showed no difference in
making these judgments for any of the words. Researchers find similar results
when they divide participants along other personality dimensions (Shah &Higgins, 2001).
2.02.5Latency in SecondsDependent Adjectives Independent AdjectivesWords Judged Self-Descriptive
2.02.5Latency in SecondsDependent Adjectives Independent AdjectivesWords Judged Not Self-DescriptiveDependentsParticipants:
Aschematics
Independents
FIGURE 15.3 Mean Response Latencies for Adjectives
Source: From “Self-schemata and processing information about the self, ”by H. Markus, Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology , 1977, 35, 63 –78. Reprinted by permission of the American Psychological
Association.420 CHAPTER 15 The Cognitive Approach