Changes in self-construal as a result of a MBSR course: Application of a new behavioral measure

There are increasing pressures upon individuals to be self-determining. Within workplaces, employees are increasingly expected to demonstrate leadership that is proactive, empowered, intrinsically motivated and goal-directed. This paper explores how individuals think about themselves in response to these demands. We explore how individuals must increasingly see themselves less in terms of a set of identity labels and characteristics and more in terms of a process of ongoing self-construction. We call the ongoing behavior of constructing and reconstructing the self selfing. We review relevant available measures and then propose a new, qualitative and behavioral measure of three forms of self: self-as-story, self-as-process and self-as-perspective. We conclude by presenting results demonstrating changes in selfing as a result of a brief mindfulness intervention (MBSR). Mindfulness courses appear to produce significant changes in the way that people think about themselves and this is likely to have substantial impacts upon their behavior in the workplace and elsewhere in their lives. Our measure appears to provide a relatively efficient way of measuring profound changes in self-understanding without relying upon self-report instruments.