The effects of extraversion, openness to experience and status on self-presentation

Self-presentation has been described as attempts by people to make favorable or desired impressions of themselves on other people in order to avoid social disapproval and gain social approval. In a 2x4 factorial design, status was manipulated to see whether there was a relationship between the use of self-presentation strategies and the level of status (higher, equal to or lower) of another person. The situation was also manipulated to see whether people use self-presentation strategies differently in a formal situation (school) than in an informal situation (mall). It was hypothesized that people with lower levels of extraversion and openness to experience would use self-presentation strategies more than those with high levels because they would be more anxious about social situations. Eighty students from Algoma University College were given a personality test to measure their rate of extraversion and openness to experience. The students were asked to rate how they would feel in one of eight different social situations. No significant effect of either manipulation was detected.