The Social Self Flashcards
Beliefs about our unique personal traits, abilities, preferences, tastes, talents, and so forth
Who am I as an individual
Individual self
Beliefs about our identities in specific relationships
Relational self
Beliefs about our identities as members of social groups to which we belong
Collective self
What we think of ourselves in the moment influences how we think, feel, and behave in everyday life
Spontaneous self-concept
View of the self as self-contained and autonomous and competing against others
Relates to individualism
Independent self
View of the self as a part of a larger social network and trying to maintain social harmony
Relates to collectivism
Interdependent self
Information is better recalled when it is related to the self
Self-reference effect
Examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings
Looking inward
Introspection
When we are uncertain of our attitudes and feelings we make inferences about traits by observing our own behavior
Looking outward
Self-perception theory
Our perception of how others perceive us and evaluate us
“Looking-glass self”
Looking outward
Reflected appraisals
The info received by others about our traits and abilities
Looking outward
Direct feedback
The act of comparing our traits and abilities with those of others
Looking outward
Social comparison
Motivating if people believe the standard is attainable
De-motivating if the standard is not viewed as attainable
Upward social comparison
Boosts our self-esteem when people think they will NOT experience the same misfortune
Hurts self-esteem when people think they can experience the same misfortune
Downward social comparison
Need for a positive self-view and to protect against negative feedback
Self-enhancement
