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Changing Faces, Shifting Roles: The Role of Self-Monitoring in Identity Distress💆♀️😮💨
Thank you for considering taking part in my thesis study!
This survey will take about 8-10 minutes to complete and includes an optional, non-clinical social behaviour profile at the end based on your responses.
Please note that you have to be 18-25 years old and a Malaysian to be eligible.
Kindly go to the next page to read the informed consent form.
Title of Study:
Changing Faces, Shifting Roles: The Role of Self-Monitoring in Identity Distress
Purpose of the Study
You are invited to participate in this study, which aims to explore the relationship between self-monitoring tendencies and experiences of identity-related uncertainty or distress. The results will be used solely for academic purposes as part of an undergraduate psychology thesis.
What Participation Involves
If you agree to participate, you will be asked to:
Fill in a short demographic form confirming your age and nationality
Complete two self-report questionnaires:Revised Self-Monitoring Scale (assessing social behavior tendencies),
Identity Distress Scale (assessing experiences of identity-related uncertainty)
Provide honest responses based on your thoughts and feelings.
The survey will take approximately 8–10 minutes to complete. You may skip any question you do not wish to answer.
Sensitive Information
Some questions will ask about your personal experiences and feelings regarding your identity. While there are no clinical diagnoses involved, these questions may prompt reflection or emotional responses. You are free to skip any questions or withdraw from the study at any time without penalty.
Voluntary Participation
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or withdraw at any point. Choosing not to participate will not affect your standing with your university or any other services.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Your responses will be anonymous. No personally identifiable information (name, contact details, etc.) will be collected.
Survey responses will be stored in password-protected files accessible only to the researcher and supervising academic staff.
Data will be reported only in aggregated form.
Responses will be kept for the duration required by university research guidelines and securely deleted thereafter.
Optional Engagement Feature
At the end of the survey, you will have the option to view a brief Social Behavior Profile based on your responses. This profile is for engagement purposes only and is not a clinical or diagnostic assessment. You may choose not to view it.
Well-being and Support
If any question causes you discomfort, you may skip it or withdraw at any time. After completing the survey, a debriefing statement will provide further information about the study and links to support resources in case you feel distressed.
Ethics Review Board Approval
This study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Review Board, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences at HELP University [ERB Approval Code: UG/A25/54]. For any research-related problems, complaints, or questions regarding participants’ rights, please contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Review Board.
Chairperson, Ethics Review Board
Department of Psychology
Faculty of Behavioural Sciences
Level 3, Block B HELP University – Subang 2
Persiaran Cakerawala, Seksyen U4
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +603 7849 3000
Support Resources (Malaysia):
Befrienders Worldwide: +603-7627 2929 / [email protected]
Centre for Psychological and Counselling Services (CPCS): +603-7849 3200 / [email protected]
Researcher and Supervisor Contact Information
Researcher: Chong Li Syuen ([email protected])
Supervisor: Ms. Sanghamitra Gupta ([email protected])
Consent Declaration
By selecting “I consent and wish to participate,” you confirm that:
You have read and understood the information above.
You voluntarily agree to participate in this study.
You understand that you may skip questions or withdraw at any time.
Part I: Revised Self-Monitoring Scale (Lennox & Wolfe, 1984)
The following statements describe ways in which people may behave or respond in social situations. Please read each statement carefully and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree based on how you typically think, feel, or behave. There are no right or wrong answers. Your responses should reflect your usual tendencies rather than how you think you should behave. Please answer honestly and select the option that best represents you for each statement.
In social situations, I have the ability to alter my behavior if I feel that something else is called for.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I am often able to read people's true emotions correctly through their eyes.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I have the ability to control the way I come across to people, depending on the impression I wish to give them.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
In conversations, I am sensitive to even the slightest change in the facial expression of the person I'm conversing with.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
My powers of intuition are quite good when it comes to understanding others' emotions and motives.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I can usually tell when others consider a joke to be in bad taste, even though they may laugh convincingly.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
When I feel that the image I am portraying isn't working, I can readily change it to something that does.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I can usually tell when I've said something inappropriate by reading it in the listener's eyes.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I have trouble changing my behavior to suit different people and different situations.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
I have found that I can adjust my behavior to meet the requirements of any situation I find myself in.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
If someone is lying to me, I usually know it at once from that person's manner of expression.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
Even when it might be to my advantage, I have difficulty putting up a good front.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
Once I know what the situation calls for, it's easy for me to regulate my actions accordingly.
0 → Strongly Disagree
5 → Strongly Agree
Part II: Identity Distress Scale (Berman et al., 2003)
The following statements ask about how much distress or concern you may have experienced regarding different areas of your identity. Identity refers to your sense of who you are, including your goals, values, relationships, and future direction. Please indicate how much distress or concern you have experienced in each area using the scale provided. There are no right or wrong answers. Please respond honestly based on your personal experiences.
Long term goals? (e.g., finding a good job, being in a romantic relationship, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Career choice? (e.g., deciding on a trade or profession, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Friendships? (e.g., experiencing a loss of friends, change in friends, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Sexual orientation and behaviour? (e.g., feeling confused about sexual preferences, intensity of sexual needs, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Religion? (e.g. stopped believing, changed your belief in God/religion, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Values and beliefs? (e.g., feeling confused about what is right or wrong, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Group loyalties? (e.g., belonging to a club, school group, gang, etc.)
To what degree have you recently been upset, distressed, or worried over the following issue in your life?
1 → Not at all
5 → Very Severely
Please rate the overall level of discomfort (how bad they made you feel) about all of the above issues that might have upset or distressed you as a whole.
1 → Not at all
5 → High Discomfort
Please rate how much the uncertainty over these issues as a whole has interfered with your life (for example, stopped you from doing things you wanted to do, or being happy)
1 → Not at all
5 → High Interference
How long (if at all) have you felt upset, distressed, or worried over these issues as a whole?
1 → Never or less than a month
5 → More than 12 months
You may optionally view a brief Social Behavior Profile based on your responses. This profile provides general informational feedback and is not a diagnostic or clinical assessment. While the profile requires sufficient responses to generate, you are free to skip any questions and your participation remains valid regardless of whether you view the profile.
The Social Chameleon🦎🫂
You appear to have strong awareness of social situations and how others perceive you. People with this style are highly sensitive to social cues and are skilled at adjusting their behavior to fit different environments. This flexibility can help you navigate diverse social settings effectively and build positive impressions. You may find it easier to adapt to new groups, roles, or expectations when needed.
The Adaptive Balancer⚖️❇️
You appear to balance internal consistency with situational awareness. People with this style tend to remain true to themselves while still being aware of social expectations. This balanced approach allows you to adapt when appropriate without feeling disconnected from your personal values. You may be comfortable across different social situations while maintaining a stable sense of self.
The Authentic Anchor⚓💯
You appear to place strong emphasis on behaving consistently with your internal thoughts, values, and feelings. People with this style tend to express themselves in ways that reflect their genuine identity, regardless of the social situation. This consistency can contribute to a strong sense of authenticity and personal stability in how you interact with others.
Thank you! 🙌
Thank you for participating in this study.
The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between self-monitoring and identity distress. Your responses will help provide insight into how these variables may be related in Malaysian young adults.
Self-monitoring refers to how much individuals adjust their behavior depending on social situations. Higher self-monitoring individuals tend to adapt their behavior more to social expectations, while lower self-monitoring individuals tend to behave more consistently across situations.
To learn more about self-monitoring, you may refer to this article.
Identity distress refers to feelings of uncertainty, conflict, or concern about important aspects of one’s identity, such as personal values, goals, relationships, or life direction. These experiences are common, particularly during periods of personal growth or transition. Experiencing identity-related uncertainty or distress is a normal part of psychological development and self-reflection. Many people experience such feelings at various points in their lives.
For more information about identity distress, you may refer to this article.
Some questions in this survey asked about your personal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Reflecting on these topics may cause mild discomfort or prompt personal reflection, which is normal. If you experienced any distress, you are encouraged to take a break and seek support if needed.
Support resources (Malaysia):
Centre for Psychological and Counseling Services (CPCS): +603-7849 3200 or [email protected]
Befrienders Malaysia: +603-7627 2929 or www.befrienders.org.my
All responses are anonymous and confidential. No identifying information is linked to your answers. Data will be reported only in aggregated form.
The social behavior profiles presented in the end were generated based on a single item in the survey and is intended for general engagement purposes only. It is not a clinical or diagnostic assessment and does not reflect your overall self-monitoring score.
If you have any questions about this study, you may contact:
Chong Li Syuen
Undergraduate Student, Department of Psychology
HELP University
[email protected]
Thank you again for your participation and valuable contribution to this research.
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