Self Flashcards
Self Complexity Theory
when one role is creating negative feeling, having other identities enables a person to continue to grow and enjoy life. Greater overlapping of self aspects will receive greater effects of positive or negative feelings on the self.
Why having self-schemas that are well-partitioned or too extreme can be problematic?
This can lead to mega mood swings. If positive or negative schemas are too extreme, priming schemas can have extreme effects on moods. Sometimes it is best to have less compartmentalised schemas or more moderate self schemas to that priming will not have extreme mood swings.
- it is the quality of schemas that matter, not the quantity. When people experience distress in one role, they need to align schemas together to make themselves feel better- compartmentalised schemas are hard to access and align- for example, a working mother thinking herself as a role model for her child is good.
One’s self beliefs and identities are coherent in one’s mind and that they do not change rapidly or unpredictably. What kind of definition fits this statement? what are the benefits of having coherent identities and beliefs?
Self Concept Clarity.
Benefits:
- bolster self esteem, incorporating satisfaction in life
- helps deal with daily negative events
Personality is 50% inherited. The birth order of an individual is able to influence Rebelliousness. Examples:
When resources are scarce, sibling conflict is frequent.
- most US presidents are first borns
- revolutionary scientists are mostly younger siblings
- older siblings are more assertive and dominant, more achievement oriented and conscientious
What is the distinctiveness hypothesis? Who proposed it?
McGuire and Padawar-Singer 1978;
- people tend to describe themselves in terms of how they are different from others
- The Optimal Distinctiveness Hypothesis (Brewer 2003) explains people seek a balance between of inclusion and distinctiveness within their social groups
What is the looking-glass self and who proposed it?
Cooly and Mead (1934);
We learn who we are through other people, how we imagine others see and judge us. We learn through direct social feedback
- evidence that self-construals can be very different to what others think of us ( Schrauger and Schoeremann 1979)
Describe the social Comparison source of self knowledge
I know who I am by seeing who I am not.
The value of self only becomes meaningful in comparison with others. e.g. When you see others steal, you think that you are not a thieve and would never steal. Therefore you would conclude that you are a good person.
When you access inner thoughts and feelings using agent self, what type of self knowledge source is it?
Introspection; self reflection and monitoring
Social Comparison Theory includes: upward social comparison, downward social comparison, self enhancement motives, self handicapping, high and low self esteem, self discrepancies and positive illusions. What is upward and downward social comparison?
upward: motivating/inspiring
- discouraging
Downward: boost in self esteem and feel better about myself
self enhancement motives?
desire to learn flattering things about oneself to feel good.
Self handicapping?
synder and Higgins 1990
blaming failure on an obstacle and not oneself. They tend to be those whose talents have been recognised,.
Berglas and Jones (1978)
- Study to investigate if a new class of drugs had temporary side effects on intelligence performance.
- one drug will enhance performance and the other will be detrimental
- they used 2 IQ tests; One taken before the drug and one after the drug
- The 1st IQ test before the drug is taken, half the Ps gave non-contingent feedback.
Give some characteristics on high self esteem:
- positive self evaluation
- more confident in abilities
- perceive less risk of failure
- face more chances and experience-> more positive feedback, helped by confirmation bias
Give some characteristics on low self esteem:
- neutral or ambivalent evaluation
- afraid of failure, do not pursue their goals as readily
- show self concept confusion
- show self protection rather than self enhancement
What is a study conducted to evaluate Positive Illusions?
Svenson (1981) asked people to rate their driving skills as above average, average or below average. 90% of people said they were above average.
- The better-than-average effect:
- incompetence leads to difficulties in recognising one’s own competence
- people with true abilities tend to underestimate their competence
- metacognition ability to recognise ineptitude.
- over estimation of others’ abilities
What about depressed people and how do they evaluate themselves?
They seem to show more self evaluations than people who are not depressed. they take a fair amount of blame for failure and responsibilities for success. They fairly accurately in who likes them and who doesn’t. they are realistic about their chances of success.
