Abstract
Uniqueness is defined by Snyder and Fromkin (1977, 1980) as a posession of positive difference from other people, which plays an inherent role in personal identity. But this notion is not reflected in the Uniqueness Theory. From this standpoint a prediction was made that uniqueness seeking behavior would be more likely to occur when an individual perceives a threat to his self - perceived uniqueness with regard to attributes that are more important to his self- identity and positive self- evaluation, or in his overall personality, than when he perceives it with regard to attributes that are less important. In order to test this hypothesis and to explore the responses of high and low need for uniqueness subjects, an experiment was carried out in a 3 (uniqueness deprivation feedback attributes : high importance/low importance/overall personality) × 2 (need for uniqueness : high/low) factorial design, wherein emotional and behavioral responses to the feedback were measured. Subjects were 48 undergraduate students, of whom 21 were male and 27 female. Results supported this hypothesis concerning the effects of feedback. Results were discussed in terms of the importance of attributes in maintaining the self - perception of uniqueness.
