Exam Two

Question 1

Self-presentation

Answer 1

the process through which we try to control impressions people form of us; also known as impression management. Focuses solely on the self and very narrow in scope; impression management is broader category looking at other social partners’ factors

Question 2

o Examples of when we’re concerned with self-presentation

Answer 2

	Applying for a job
	Meeting roommates’ parents
	Social media
	First date
	Meeting

Question 3

o Examples of when we’re NOT concerned with self-presentation

Answer 3

 At home with family
 When with those close to us
 While alone

Question 4

o Can come across as manipulative while social psychologists think it’s a matter of selective attention?

Answer 4

 We normally focus impression management on playing up our positives and playing down our negatives

Question 5

• Why do we self-present?

Answer 5

o To obtain desirable outcomes and resources
o To “construct” a self-image
 Based upon how others view us
o To facilitate smooth social interactions

Question 6

• Dramaturgical perspective

Answer 6

view that self-presentation is seen as theater play with roles, props, audience, actors

Question 7

• When do we self-present?

Answer 7

o When others control a desired outcome
o When the goal is important
o When observers hold undesired images of us
o When we think others are pay attention to us

Question 8

 Spotlight effect

Answer 8

people think others pay more attention to them than they actually do
• Example – Barry Manilow study

Question 9

Barry Manilow study

Answer 9

o This study tested the spotlight effect by dividing college students into “observers” and “targets” groups
o In the observer group, people were asked to sit on one side of the table next to each other filling out a survey while the targets were told to enter the room wearing an “uncool” Barry Manilow t-shirt
o The targets were then asked to leave the room soon after being it in and then asked how many of the other in the previous room would remember their Barry Manilow t-shirt

Question 10

• public self-consciousness

Answer 10

individual personality variable that reflects their public persona
o can be induced by environment

Question 11

o objectification theory

Answer 11

through American society, women adopt the role of observers perspective of physical selves  self-objectification
 some situations might amplify this to increase anxiety
 example – men and women clothing

Question 12

• Self-monitoring

Answer 12

reflects our concern of our public persona and changing that perception in different situations
o high self-monitoring = “social chameleons”

Question 13

o Social anxiety

Answer 13

fear of self-presentation failure
 Occurs when people have desire to convey persona and feel like they’re failing to do so
 Correlated with self-presentation but distinctive from it

Question 14

• Goals of self-presentation

Answer 14

o	Appearing likeable: ingratiation
	Ingratiation – trying to get others to like us
	Expressing liking for others
•	People like others who like them
	Liking is remarkably powerful
	Highlight similarities but do NOT create them
•	we like people similar to us
o	Appearing competent
o	Conveying high status and power

Question 15

 Ingratiation

Answer 15

we want others to like us
•	Strategies 
o	Expressing liking for others
o	Highlight similarities
o	Make ourselves physically attractive
	More likely to be elected to office, more likely to serve less time in jail, more liked in general

Question 16

• The multiple audience problem

Answer 16

when worlds colliding together; we went to seem likeable simultaneously by two different audiences 
o	Can create anxiety
o	How to solve it 
	Choosing one audience over the other
	Moderating your “multiple selves”
	Avoiding

Question 17

 Self-promotion

Answer 17

we want others to see as competent
•	Strategies
o	Stage performance
	Create opportunities to show competence
o	Verbal claims of own competence
	Conflicts with ingratiation to appear modest
	Tougher for women
	Or let others do it for you
o	Display trappings of competence
	Props used to show competence
•	To seem smart, you might put a lot of books on shelves
o	Make excuses for poor performance
	Before or after the event in question

Question 18

o Self-handicapping

Answer 18

you’re putting obstacles in your own path
 Drugs, alcohol, procrastination
 Ready-made excuses

Question 19

 Intimidation

Answer 19

we want others to see us as having status and power
 Encourage people to do things for us and listen to us
 Strategies
• Use symbols of status and power
o Diplomas, houses, cars
• Conspicuous consumption
o Buying cars, which zip code is associated with you (90210)
o Potlatch – in some countries, when men have too much power/stuff of power, they’ll either give it away or burn it to show their high status
o Engagement rings – “what do her diamonds say about you?”
o Associate with successful others
 BIRGing – basking in reflected glory
 CORFing – cutting off reflected failure
o Dominant body language
 Taking up space with your body
 Study shown that when people are forced to stand in a “power position” before an interview, they’ll be more likely to get the job due to showing power, authority, status

Question 20

Holtzman and Strube (2012)

o Dark Triad study

Answer 20

 Narcissism: grandiose view of self
 Psychopathy: lack of remorse; impulsive
 Machiavellianism: manipulating people to get what you want
 All three traits focus on manipulating people for one’s own benefit

Question 21

Holtzman and Strube (2012)

o Research question:

Answer 21

are people with high dark triad traits especially good at effective adornment?

Question 22

Holtzman and Strube (2012)

o Methodology

Answer 22

looked at unadorned attractiveness vs. effective adornment
 Unadorned attractiveness: true, more stable form of attractiveness
 Effective adornment: things people do to appear more attractive
 Research participants posed for 2 pictures
• First was exactly as they came in (effective adornment)
• Second was without makeup, jewelry, hair pulled back, wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants (unadorned attractiveness)
 Then took a self-measurement test assessing dark triad traits
 Then got close others to rate participants on dark triad traits
 Random group rated the attractiveness of the two pictures

Question 23

Holtzman and Strube (2012)

o Findings

Answer 23

positive correlation between dark triadness and effective adornment; people who score higher on dark triadness are more likely to do things to show self-presentation of attractiveness

Question 24

Personal ads study

Answer 24

o Archival study that looked at data collected of personal ads in northern and southern in United States to see how people presented themselves based upon where they were from as well as to see if they sought out those same characteristics with partners

Question 25

• Persuasion

Answer 25

o There are many ways in which people try to persuade us o Change in private (personal to oneself; internal) attitude or belief resulting from receipt of a message o If they shift your opinion, they shift your behaviors o Some attitudes are harder to change  Moral attitudes deeply embedded within us are hard to change; they make up who we are

Question 26

o How do we measure attitudes?

Answer 26

 Self-reports  Covert ways • Implicit association tasks o Asks about social prejudices in very discrete ways  Behavior • Littering behavior of candidates for political races show that the pictures of those seen more in the trash or crumpled up were less likely to win elections

Question 27

o Direct causes of persuasion |  Dual process models

Answer 27

* Elaboration likelihood model | * Heuristic systematic model

Question 28

o Direct causes of persuasion |  Two different paths to persuasion

Answer 28

• We change by deep and careful processing o Called the central route in the elaboration model and systematic route in the heuristic model o Focused on quality; rational and logical thinking o These ads are seen as boring and informational o Yield longer-lasting attitude change o Cognitive task o Need both motivation and ability • We process superficially o Peripheral route in elaboration model and heuristic route in heuristic model o Focused on emotions and surface level considerations o Cues that indicate to change reasoning  Multiple arguments  Attractive ads o Ads are more attention-grabbing o Sex sells

Question 29

o When do we allow ourselves to be persuaded?

Answer 29

 When new attitude seems more correct (goal of accuracy) • To hold accurate view of the world o How can we be accurate?  Use careful, deep processing of relevant messages  When we can’t use deep processing, use heuristics/shortcuts of accuracy: • Use credibility of communicator o Credibility = accuracy o Components:  Expertise and trustworthiness o “if the trustworthy expert’s saying it, it must be correct” • Use others’ responses as cue to accurate attitude o More consensus = higher persuasion o “if others think it, it must be correct”  When new attitude enables consistency  When new attitude enables gaining social acceptance