Abstract
Snyder defines self-monitoring — individual differences in using social cues to guide expressive behaviour versus staying anchored to inner states.
Snyder, M. (1974). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(4), 526–537. DOI
Key findings
- High vs low — High self-monitors shift expression to fit context; low monitors stay more consistent.
- Expressive chameleon — High monitors excel at reading the room — and may seem different in every group.
- Inner anchor — Low monitors privilege felt authenticity over situational fit.
- Cue sensitivity — Scale predicts attention to social comparison information in his studies.
Limits
Personality scale work — context and stakes still modulate expression.
Application
When you perform differently in every room — you may be a high self-monitor reading the audience, not fake. See Self-censorship.