SELF-MONITORING SCALE

Developed by Mark Snyder (1974)

DIRECTIONS: The statements below concern your personal reactions to a number of

different situations. No two statements are exactly alike, so consider each statement
carefully before answering. IF a statement is TRUE or MOSTLY TRUE as applied to you,
circle the "T" next to the question. If a statement is FALSE or NOT USUALLY TRUE as
applied to you, circle the "F" next to the question.

(T) (F) 1. I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people.

(T) (F) 2. My behavior is usually an expression of my true inner

feelings, attitudes, and beliefs.

(T) (F) 3. At parties and social gatherings, I do not attempt to do or

say things that others will like.

(T) (F) 4. I can only argue for ideas which I already believe.

(T) (F) 5. I can make impromptu speeches even on topics about

which I have almost no information.

(T) (F) 6. I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain people.

(T) (F) 7. When I am uncertain how to act in a social situation, I

look to the behavior of others for cues.

(T) (F) 8. I would probably make a good actor.

(T) (F) 9. I rarely seek the advice of my friends to choose movies,

books, or music.

(T) (F) 10. I sometimes appear to others to be experiencing deeper

emotions than I actually am.

(T) (F) 11. I laugh more when I watch a comedy with others than
when alone.

(T) (F) 12. In groups of people, I am rarely the center of attention.

(T) (F) 13. In different situations and with different people, I often
act like very different persons.

(T) (F) 14. I am not particularly good at making other people like
me.

(T) (F) 15. Even if I am not enjoying myself, I often pretend to be

having a good time.

(T) (F) 16. I'm not always the person I appear to be.
 (T) (F) 17. I would not change my opinions (or the way I do things)
in order to please someone else or win their favor.

(T) (F) 18. I have considered being an entertainer.

(T) (F) 19. In order to get along and be liked, I tend to be what
people expect me to be rather than anything else.

(T) (F) 20. I have never been good at games like charades or
improvisational acting.

(T) (F) 21. I have trouble changing my behavior to suit different

people and different situations.

(T) (F) 22. At a party, I let others keep the jokes and stories going.

(T) (F) 23. I feel a bit awkward in company and do not show up
quite as well as I should.

(T) (F) 24. I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight
face (if for a right end).

(T) (F) 25. I may deceive people by being friendly when I really
dislike them.

SCORING YOUR SELF-

MONITORING
QUESTIONNAIRE

Self-monitoring is the ability and desire to regulate one's public expressiveness to fit
the clues and/or requirements of the stiuation.

SCORING KEY:

"T" and "F" (below) indicate responses of people who are high self-monitors. To
calculate your self-monitoring score, place a check mark next to the questions that
match the "T" and "F" responses below. Count the total number of "check" marks
that appear in the margin of your survey. That number is your self-monitoring score.

A score that is between 0-12 would indicate that the respondent is a relatively low
self-monitor; a score that is between 13-25 would indicate that the respondent is a
relatively high self-monitor.

SURVEY RESPONSES OF PEOPLE WHO TEND TO BE

HIGH SELF-MONITORS:

( ) (F) 1. I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people.

( ) (F) 2. My behavior is usually an expression of my true inner
feelings, attitudes, and beliefs.

( ) (F) 3. At parties and social gatherings, I do not attempt to do or

say things that others will like.

( ) (F) 4. I can only argue for ideas which I already believe.

(T) ( ) 5. I can make impromptu speeches even on topics about

which I have almost no information.

(T) ( ) 6. I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain people.

(T) ( ) 7. When I am uncertain how to act in a social situation, I look

to the behavior of others for cues.

(T) ( ) 8. I would probably make a good actor.

( ) (F) 9. I rarely seek the advice of my friends to choose movies,

books, or music.

(T) ( ) 10. I sometimes appear to others to be experiencing deeper

emotions than I actually am.

(T) ( ) 11. I laugh more when I watch a comedy with others than
when alone.

( ) (F) 12. In groups of people, I am rarely the center of attention.

(T) ( ) 13. In different situations and with different people, I often

act like very different persons.

( ) (F) 14. I am not particularly good at making other people like me.

(T) ( ) 15. Even if I am not enjoying myself, I often pretend to be

having a good time.

(T) ( ) 16. I'm not always the person I appear to be.

( ) (F) 17. I would not change my opinions (or the way I do things)
in order to please someone else or win their favor.

(T) ( ) 18. I have considered being an entertainer.

(T) ( ) 19. In order to get along and be liked, I tend to be what

people expect me to be rather than anything else.

( ) (F) 20. I have never been good at games like charades or

improvisational acting.

( ) (F) 21. I have trouble changing my behavior to suit different

people and different situations.
 ( ) (F) 22. At a party, I let others keep the jokes and stories going.

( ) (F) 23. I feel a bit awkward in company and do not show up quite
as well as I should.

(T) ( ) 24. I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight
face (if for a right end).

(T) ( ) 25. I may deceive people by being friendly when I really

dislike them.

INTERPRETATION OF SCORES

In any setting, people are generally motivated to behave appropriately (Michener,

Delamater, Schwartz, 1986, p. 192). People who are high in self-monitoring look for cues
in the situation to tell them how to behave, whereas those who are low in self-monitoring
use their own values and motives to guide their behavior. (Michener, Delamater, Schwartz,
1986, pp. 334-335). Self-monitoring involves three major and somewhat distinct
tendencies (Greenberg & Baron, 1990, pp. 204-206):

(1) the willingness to be the center of attention -- a tendency to behave in outgoing,

extraverted ways
(closely related to the social skill of emotional expressiveness);

(2) Sensitivity to the reactions of others;

(3) ability and willingness to adjust behavior to induce positive reactions in others.

We can say that "self-monitoring" refers to a person's ability to adjust his or her behavior
to external situational factors. Individuals high in self-monitoring show considerable
adaptability in their behavior. They are highly sensitive to external cues and can behave
differently in different situations. They are capable of presenting striking contradictions
between the public persona and the private self. By contrast, low self-monitors can't
disguise themselves this way; they tend to display their true dispositions and attitudes in
every situation; hence, there is high behavioral consistency between who they are privately
and what they do publicly (Robbins, 1993: 714).

High self-monitors are particularly sensitive to other people and alter their responses to
others' cues. They are more flexible and responsive to their environment than low self-
monitors are. For example, high self-monitors can be expected to demonstrate greater
flexibility in adapting their leadership style to changing situations, using a variety of
conflict-resolution techniques (Robbins, 1993: 714).

High self-monitors are people who readily adjust their own behavior to produce positive
reactions in others and their actions are usually guided by the requirements of a given
situation. They are different with different people and in different situations, compared to
low self-monitors who seem less aware of or concerned with their impact on others. Low
self-monitors' actions usually reflect their inner feelings and attitudes and they are less
likely to change or adjust in each new context (Greenberg & Baron, 1990, pp. 204-206).
* RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELF-MONITORING AND OB:

Preliminary research evidence suggests that high self-monitors tend to pay closer attention
to the behavior of others and are more capable of conforming than are low self-monitors.
High self-monitors are more likely to be successful in managerial positions where
individuals are required to play multiple, and even contradicting roles. Thus, the high self-
monitor is capable of putting on different "faces" for different audiences.

** High self-monitors are often more effective than low self-monitors in jobs that require
boundary spanning (communicating and interacting with different groups of people who,
because of contrasting goals, training, or skills "speak different languages"). Since they can
readily adjust their actions to the norms, expectations, and style of each group, high self-
monitors are more successful in dealing with them than are low self-monitors, and this
improves performance. Boundary-spanning roles are very important in most organizations,
so assigning high self-monitoring people to such positions may yield substantial benefits.

Examples of occupations or positions that might require high self-monitoring would

include HR manager, CEO, organizational development specialist or marketing and sales
director. (Robbins, 1993: 108).

** High self-monitors tend to be better at clear communicating than low self-monitors.

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Key point of this exercise is:

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR:

Team behavior? Managerial behavior? Organizational behavior? Effectiveness? Learning?