A developmental approach to self-monitoring behavior

Research has failed to consistently validate Snyder's self-monitoring construct. Criticisms of the construct have focused upon both the logic of the construct and on the scale used to measure it. This investigation examined changes that may occur in self-monitoring behavior as individuals age. The Revised Self-Monitoring Scale was administered to four different age groups: 16–18 year olds, 2134 year olds, 35–54 year olds, and 55–82 year olds. While individuals in these groups exhibited no significant differences in their self-monitoring behavior, individuals of varying ages did differ in the extent to which they reported they were able to modify their self-presentations. The Revised Self-Monitoring Scale proved to be reliable, except for use with the 16-18 year old age group. Limitations of the scale are discussed and recommendations for further self-monitoring research are proposed.