chapter 4 Flashcards
1: self-concept
an individuals knowledge about his or her personal qualities
1: 3 ways people learn who they are
self perception theory, reaction of others, social comparison theory
1: self perception theory
make inferences about personal characteristics on the basis of our behaviors, especially behaviors that are intrinsically motivated
1: study for self perception theory
kids introduced to new drawing activity with fun markers, after a while, some kids received certificate for drawing, some got a certificate for no reason and others got nothing. a few weeks later, the markers were back and kids that got nothing used them more, because they were motivated by their joy of coloring
1: reaction to others study
kids told that they should be tidy has less litter than kids that were told they should be tidy or those that were told nothing. when you’re labeled with a trait, you shape you’re self concept
1: social comparison theory study
contrast effect-when we compare our average skills to those that are extremely good or extremely bad, we see ourselves as extremely bad or extremely good (opposite of who we’re playing). chess players
1: which way of knowing self are most impactful for someone whose self-concepts are uncertain or are still developing
reaction to others
2: counterfactual reasoning
thoughts about how an outcome might have turned out differently. think about the things we could have done better, might make us feel bad about self, but also suggest ways to improve next time
2: situation in life that counterfactual reasoning was beneficial
in school, particlarly biology. i didn’t do very good on the first test, but i was able to figure out which parts i had the most trouble on and used that knowledge to figure out how to prepare better for the next tests
2: situation in life that counterfactual reasoning was harmful
as a swim instructor. parent told me i was irresponsible and made her child a worse swimmer than when the lessons first began. in an attempt to figure out what i did differently with her child than i had been doing with the 50 other children i had taugh, i second guessed myself, and could not put my full effort and energy into my swim lessons, and i lost the enjoyment that teaching lessons had given me.