1. a personality trait associated with the tendency to reflect on or think about oneself. Psychological use of the term (e.g., in personality measures) refers to individual differences in self-reflection, not to embarrassment or awkwardness (see sense

3..). Some researchers have distinguished between two varieties of self-consciousness: (a) private self-consciousness, or the degree to which people think about private, internal aspects of themselves (e.g., their thoughts, motives, and feelings) that are not directly open to observation by others; and (b) public self-consciousness, or the degree to which people think about public, external aspects of themselves (e.g., their physical appearance, mannerisms, and overt behavior) that can be observed by others.

2. see reflective consciousness.

3. extreme sensitivity about one’s behavior, appearance, or other attributes and excessive concern about the impression one makes on others, which may lead to embarrassment or awkwardness in the presence of others. —self-conscious adj.