ABSTRACT
Just as there are numerous standards by which we judge others, sources of standards for self-judgment and evaluation also abound. In judging others, standards and expectancies tend to function as reference points, providing information useful for interpreting and evaluating data about a given target. In judging the self, this informational function is also relevant, but standards can additionally serve as regulatory criteria (see Carver & Scheier, 1981, 2002; Duval & Wicklund, 1972). That is, standards provide information about “valued end states” according to which we appraise ourselves and our progress toward goals (Higgins, 1990, 1996; Higgins et al., 1986).
