Self-representation and freedom

Abstract

We investigated the relationships between self-representations and conceptions of freedom. We asked: “Who are you? Introduce yourself as you like” and “What is it freedom for you?” to 117 participants in the age range of 19-34 years. The self-introductions data were defined as Affirmative; Adaptive; and, Intermediate. The data about freedom were categorized as: “affirmative freedom”; “conditioned freedom”; “demanding freedom”; “freedom as non action/thought”; “denied freedom”. All groups formed according to self-introduction tended to utter “affirmative freedom” and, simultaneously, to refer to “conditioned freedom”. However, those who self-introduced as Affirmative manifested more “demanding freedom”, as well as those who self-introduced as Adaptive and Intermediate tended to “affirmative freedom”, while also highlighting “freedom as non action/thought, but also as “denied freedom”. The comparison between men and women regarding freedom’s conceptions showed that the former tended to “affirmative freedom” associated with “demanding freedom”, while the latter manifested more “freedom as non action/thought”, and “denied freedom”.