The implicit self-concept: The structure of the self-concept and its influence on attitude formation at an unconscious level

This dissertation comprises four chapters. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 are designed to stand alone as documents prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Chapter one is an introduction and overview of the experiments presented in this dissertation. Chapter two is a methodological piece, presenting four studies that assess the extent to which IAT-measured self-associations are premised on semantic meaning and valence. Chapter three is a theoretical piece, reporting three experiments that suggest that self-domains (as defined by Higgins and others) are distinct in unconscious memory, and may vary in terms of relative centrality to the self-concept and implicit attitude toward them. These differences amongst self-domains are discussed within the context of possible selves motivation theory. Chapter four consists of three studies that explore attitude formation as a result of linking innocuous objects with the self-concept. Results of these experiments suggest that implicit attitudes may form as a result of minimal association with the self-concept.