IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION ON SOCIAL NETWORKS THROUGH THE PRISM OF DEFENSE MECHANISM “OVERCOMPENSATION”
Abstract
The aim of the article is to study the identity construction in Ukrainian sector of Facebook social network through the prism of defense mechanism “overcompensation”. Psycholinguistic research methods, namely discourse analysis, the method of contextual and intuitive logical interpretation analysis are used in this empirical, inductive study. The study identified that the most desirable characteristics for an individual are hardline attitude, self-confidence, self-control, persistence, buoyancy, ambition for self-development and self-actualization, steadfastness, rebelliousness, adventurism, humanity, kindness. The Ukrainian social network users are strongly attracted by such gender roles as “real man” and “strong woman” as well as such situational social roles as “powerful man”, “rebel”, “learner”, “cynic”, “expert-adviser”, “nihilist”, “sage”, “leader”, “hedonist”. We argue that an individual who constructs his/her personal identity through the defense mechanism “overcompensation” has clearly demonstrated need for power, an individual is convinced of the moral righteousness of what he/she believes in. The need for power motivates an individual in quest for leadership. In this case, an individual is focused on charismatic leadership, that is, he/she positions himself/herself as a person who, by virtue of his/her personal abilities and qualities, is able to have a profound and extraordinary influence on the people around him/her. The preferable psychological types of leader are “hero leader”, “leader-standard”, “erudite leader”. The charismatic leadership is only an immanent orientation of consciousness toward a desired identity, no matter it is real or imagined, but this orientation certainly affects the real identity construction.
References
2. Assmann, J. (2013). Communicative and Cultural Memory. Loci Memoriae Hungaricae – The Theoretical Foundations of Hungarian ’lieux de mémoire’ Studies, 36-43. [in English].
3. Back, М. D., Stopfer, J.M., Vazire, S., Gaddis, S., Schmukle, S. C., Egloff1, B., Gosling, S. D. (2010). Facebook Profiles Reflect Actual Personality, Not Self-Idealization. Psychological Science, 3, 372-374. DOI: 10.1177/0956797609360756. [in English].
4. Bogomolova, E.I. (2014). Lichnostnaya identichnost v usloviyakh virtualizaczii bytiya [Personal identity in the conditions of virtualization of being]. Chelovek. Soobshhestvo. Upravlenie – Person. Community. Management, 2, 108. [in Russian].
5. Borgmann, A. (2013). So who am I really? Personal identity in the age of the Internet. AI & Soc, 28, 15-20. DOI: 10.1007/s00146-012-0388-0. [in English].
6. Davis, K. (2014). Youth Identities in a Digital Age: The Anchoring Role of Friends in Young People’s Approaches to Online Identity Expression. In: Bennett A., Robards B. (eds) Mediated Youth Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan, London. DOI: 10.1057/9781137287. [in English].
7. Dirven, R., Polzenhagen, F., Wolf, H.-G. (2005). Cognitive Linguistics, Ideology, and Critical Discourse Analysis. Handbook of Cognitive Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199738632.013.0047. [in English].
8. Gladyshev, V.I. (2001). Kompensatornoe obshhenie: soczial`no-filosofskij analiz [Compensatory Communication: A Socio-Philosophical Analysis]. Doctor dissertation, Ekaterinburg. [in Russian].
9. Gladyshev, V.I. (2012). Obshhenie v strukture samoutverzhdeniya lichnosti [Communication in the structure of self-affirmation of personality]. Vestnik Chelyabinskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta – Bulletin of Chelyabinsk State University, 24, 64-67. [in Russian].
10. Goffman, I. (1958). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. University of Edinburgh Social Sicence Research Center, Edinburgh. [in English].
11. Jorgensen, M., & Phillips, L. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. London: Sage Publications. [in English].
12. Lysak, I.V., Kosenchuk, L.F. (2016). Formirovanie personalnoj identichnosti v usloviyakh setevoj kultury [The formation of personal identity in a network culture]. Moscow: publishing house «Sputnik +». [in Russian].
13. Machykova M. (2015). Media v konteksti psykholinhvistyky ta media psykholohii [Media in the context of psycholinguistics and media psychology]. East European Journal of Psycholinguistic, 2(2), 118-126. URL: http://esnuir.eenu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/9379. [in Ukrainian].
14. Mead, G.H. (2015). Mind Self & Society. The Definitive Edition. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. [in English].
15. Ogiyenko, I. S. (2012). Dyskurs ta pidxody do jogo analizu: poglyady na problemu suchasnyx anglomovnyx doslidnykiv [Discourse and approaches to its analysis: views on the problem of modern English-speaking researchers]. Naukovi zapysky Nacionalnogo universytetu «Ostrozka akademiya» – Scientific papers of the National University «Ostroh Academy», 23, 98-102. [in Ukrainian].
16. Patyrbaeva, K.V. (2012). Identichnost: soczialno-psikhologicheskie i soczialno-filosofskie aspekty: kollektivnaya monografiya [Identity: socio-psychological and socio-philosophical aspects: collective monograph / ed. By Patyrbaeva K.V.]. Perm: Perm State National Research University. [in Russian].
17. Romm, M.V., Luchikhina, L.F. (2011). Zarubezhnye tradiczii issledovaniya soczialnykh setej [Foreign traditions of the study of social networks]. Idei i idealy – Ideas and Ideals, 2, 86. [in Russian].
18. Schwabe, J. (2019): Role-taking theory and its application to interpersonal conflicts. Dissertation, LMU München: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. DOI: 10.5282/edoc.24467. [in English].
19. Selyugina, P.B. (2012). Personal identity: the problem of adaptation or integrity? Advanced researches of psychological science, 261-268. [in English].
20. Terras, M. M., Ramsay, J., Boyle, E. A. (2015). Digital media production and identity: Insights from a psychological perspective. E-Learning and Digital Media, 12(2), 128-146. DOI: 10.1177/2042753014568179. [in English].
21. Tselmina, M.V. (2003). Psikhologicheskie usloviya razvitiya lichnosti [Psychological conditions for the personal identity development]. Candidate dissertation, Novosibirsk. [in Russian].
22. Varnelis, K. (2020). The meaning of network culture. Kultūros barai, 4. URL: https://www.eurozine.com/the-meaning-of-network-culture/ [in English].
23. Vaughan, W. F. (1926). The psychology of compensation. Psychological Review, 33(6), 467-479. DOI 10.1037/h0070854. [in English].
Abstract views: 255 PDF Downloads: 188