People want to be viewed by others as they view themselves. Being confronted with self-relevant information that is either congruent or incongruent with one's self-view has been shown to differentially affect subsequent behavior, memory for the information, and evaluation of the source of the information. However, no research has examined differences in how incongruent versus congruent self-relevant information is processed online (i.e. moment by moment). Furthermore, no research has examined whether having an expectation that a specific individual is likely to give self-relevant information that is either congruent or incongruent with one's self-view will affect how self-relevant information from this individual is subsequently processed. Accordingly, the present research examined differences in how incongruent versus congruent self-relevant information is processed. Study 1 examined processing differences between incongruent and congruent self-relevant information using an online measure of information processing (i.e. event-related potentials) and specifically examined the P300 component of the event-related-potential (ERP) waveform. The P300 component is a positive-going deflection in the ongoing electroencephalogram (EEG) with a typically centro-parietal scalp distribution of maximal amplitude peaking at approximately 300msec after stimulus presentation and has been shown to be functionally correlated with increased recruitment of attentional resources in the processing of motivationally significant stimuli. Study 1 results showed a higher amplitude P300 in response to incongruent relative to congruent self-relevant information suggesting that incongruent self-relevant information is more motivationally significant and recruits additional attentional resources in the processing of this information relative to congruent self-relevant information. Study 2 used ERPs to examine whether having an expectation that source will provide congruent versus incongruent self-relevant information will affect how subsequent information from this source is processed. Results suggest that feedback from the source expected to provide incongruent self-relevant information elicited a frontally-maximal P300 relative to feedback from a source expected to provide congruent self-relevant information, providing initial evidence that additional attentional resources are recruited in the processing of any self-relevant information from a source that is expected to provide incongruent (relative to congruent) self-relevant information. These studies provide the first examination of how congruent and incongruent self-relevant information is processed as it is initially encountered. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]