Summary 6

(e.g., Ausubel, Schiff & Gasser 1952; Miyamoto & Dornbusch 1956; for a review of early studies, see Shrauger & Schoeneman 1979).
“Empirical tests of the looking glass approach to self construction have largely focused on the congruence between how any person (ego) views herself and how others (alter) view ego. Researchers have generally assumed that any congruence found, which we shall term the looking glass effect, is the result of a process of internalization (Gecas 1982). Since such congruence could also arise as a result of the externalization process, or even simply because ego is "objectively" of such and such a character, is known by others to be such, and knows herself to be such, this may be seen as a relatively weak test of the looking glass self. Yet there have been only a few studies providing empirical support.”