Self-Consistency: A Theory of Personality by Prescott Lecky
A Valuable Book on The Theory of Personality
Prescott Lecky's theory of Self-Consistency was developed in the 1920s and 1930s. He died in 1941. His theory was first published after his death in 1944. His theory is that instincts guiding learning and development of identity and personality were the result of a need to form an integrated and self consistent sense of reality. Once formed, a person's focus is to keep this consistent theory, even if it is not accurate.
Lecky's theory on self-consistency predated Leon Festinger's work on Cognitive Dissonance. Some say that Cognitive Dissonance is just the Self-Consistency Theory with a different name. However, Lecky explores some things that Festinger did not.
Lecky's "Self Consistency: A Theory of Personality" is a valuable book to those studying dissonance theory, learning, therapy, or persuasion.
Buy This Anchor Edition Which Features Lecky's Work, Unedited.
Book Description on the Back Cover - of the 1969 Doubleday Anchor Edition
Table of Contents ~ This edition contains Lecky's Original Work!
Other Editions
Island Press (1941) - Sorry, no picture available.
Island Press Edition (1945) - Edited by Dr. John F. A. Taylor.
Shoe String Press Edition (1961) - Edited and Interpreted by Frederick C. Thorne
Shoeless Publishing Co (1994) - Sorry, no picture available.
The 1961 Shoe String Press Edition Edited and Interpreted by Frederick C. Thorne - Table of Contents
Dr. Walter Staples on Prescott Lecky's Theory
"Educator Prescott Lecky is credited as being one of the first to advocate self-image enhancement as a means to improve personal performance. In his book Self Consistency: A Theory of Personality, he argues that people fail to succeed because of a failure-oriented self-image, not because of a lack of ability. Lecky shows how negative, pre-conceived beliefs and expectations build up "mental roadblocks," convincing people in advance that it would be impossible for them, with their "limitations," to succeed." - This is a quote from this book:
