The way people perceive themselves and their surroundings is a key factor in their development and has incredible control over their personality and their behaviors. Each individual develops different ways of interpreting their environment, and social cognitive theory calls these interpretative schemas, which can help understand the environment and form self-perception. Once self-perceptions are formed, self-verification theory states that people will work to keep their perceptions consistent and predictable. Self-perception is a key factor in personality because it can influence people's beliefs about themselves, their ability to set appropriate goals, and have a healthy standard of evaluation. A study was conducted showing how the brains of depressed individuals function differently when they think about themselves compared to those of non-depressed individuals. Research has shown that individuals who have very negative self-schemas, often depressed individuals, will actively seek out information that confirms their negative self-perception. While it's unhealthy to receive negative feedback, it can also be unhealthy to receive information that contradicts someone's current self-perception. The information that individuals interpret about themselves is what forms their self-perception, and that perception will influence both their personality and their behaviors. Self-referential beliefs are fundamental to the functioning of the personality. The human mind contains schemas, which are knowledge structures used to make sense of the world around us (Cervone, 2013). According to self-verification, people are motivated to make themselves known and understood according to their firm and coherent self-perception. “Once we have developed ways of thinking about our… middle of paper… in an effort to change their negative self-perception and, as a result, allowing them to start seeking positive feedback and live a happier life ." life. The observations that people make about the environment and society around them have a huge impact on the way humans think and behave. Works Cited Cassidy, J.C. (2003). Feedback seeking in children and adolescents: Associations with self-perceptions, attachment representations, and depression. Child Development, 72(2), 612-628. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3696334Cervone, D. (2013). Theory and research on personality. (12 ed., Vol. 1, pp. 427-467). New Aster: Wiley. DOI: Class BookKinderman, PK (2013, November 6). Personal reflection triggers increased brain activity during depressive episodes. Everyday science. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131106101620.htm