This week's episode goes back to what identity actually is from a psychological standpoint, why it's such a reliable predictor of behavior, and why that matters so much for anyone doing donor work. Stephanie walks through self-schema theory, possible selves, narrative identity, identity-based motivation, and the extended self — and ties it all back to why the show is called Built for Meaning in the first place.
Let's stay connected:
➡️ Join The 2026 Giving Tuesday Reset: A 10-Day Challenge
📩 Subscribe to Built for Meaning on Substack — research, reframes, and practical insights delivered straight to your inbox: SUBSCRIBE HERE
💼 Connect on LinkedIn
Sources Referenced
Markus (1977): Self-schemata and processing information about the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(2), 63–78. Foundational research on self-schemas — the mental structures that organize how we process information about ourselves.
Markus & Nurius (1986): Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41(9), 954–969. Introduces “possible selves,” the imagined future versions of ourselves that motivate present behavior.
McAdams (1993): The Stories We Live By: Personal Myths and the Making of the Self. Foundational work on narrative identity — the idea that we understand ourselves through an internalized life story.
Oyserman (2007, 2009): Identity-based motivation theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology / Journal of Consumer Psychology. The theory that people are more likely to act, and to persist through difficulty, when an action feels congruent with a currently activated identity.
Holte, Jamruszka, Gustafson, Beaman & Camp (1984): Influence of children's positive self-perceptions on donating behavior in a naturalistic setting. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 22(2), 145–153. Fourth graders labeled “particularly generous” after an initial donation gave significantly more in a second round, with no other change to the ask.
Bem (1972): Self-perception theory. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 6. Classic theory that people often infer their own attitudes and identity by observing their own behavior.
Baumeister (1991): Meanings of Life. Identifies core human needs for meaning: purpose, value/justification, efficacy, and self-worth.
Belk (1988): Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168. The theory that identity extends beyond the physical self into what we own, who we're connected to, and what we support.
A Note on Sourcing
The studies above are cited from their original published sources. Framing, connective language, and the application to fundraising practice are Stephanie's own — the research itself has not been independently re-verified by this production team beyond confirming publication details.
