Self and Identity Flashcards
(20 cards)
reflexive thought
ability to reflect on the way in which we think
self
symbolic construct which reflects an awareness of our own identity
Self Awareness
a psychological state in which people are aware of their traits etc
OR
realisation of oneself as an individual entity
Development of self-awareness
Lewis and Brooks- rouge spot on babies nose
- 9-12 months = thought baby was another child
- 18months + =looked curiously and touched spot on nose
Neurological basis for self-awareness
At 18months dvelop self-awareness because:
rapid growth of:
-spindle cells(specialised neurones in anterior cingulate)
-frontal lobe in cerebral cortex(responsible for monitoring and controlling intentional behaviour)
(this part of the brain active in adults when they’re self-aware)
[anterior cingulate = important role in self-awareness]
Temporary differences in self-awareness
- private self awaress (and the 3 consequences)
- public self-awareness
Private self-awareness= an individual temporarily becomes aware of private,personal aspects of the self(eg.looking in a mirror)
3 important consequences:
1- results in intensified emotional response
2- likely to experience clarification of knowledge due to focusing on internal events
3- more likely to adhere to personal standards of behaviour (more aware of beliefs)
Public self-awareness= person is aware of public aspects of themsleves that can be seen and evaluated by others (eg. being watched)
–> associated with evaluation apprehension = fear of negative evaluation = nervousness
-leads to adherence to social standards of behaviour
Chronic differences in self-awareness
personality trait?
self-consciousness
postivie and negatives of being self-conscious?
people with chronic self-awareness can be described as having ‘self-awareness’ as a personality trait
-people can be both privately and publicly self-conscious (high in private self-consciousness = experience chronically heightened self-awareness)
=have more intense emotions and more accurate representation of self
positive of being self-conscious= less likely to suffer from ill health(eg. stress) as pay more attention to physiological state
negative = tendency to suffer from depression and neuroticism
People high in public self-consciousness are concerned with how they are perceived by those around them, so:
adhere to group norms
more concerned with physical appearance
Organisation of self-knowledge
Self-Schematic?
Self-Aschematic?
knowledge we have of world = in schemas(cog. structures that represent knowledge we have on a concept
self-schema = reflects how we expect ourselves to think,feel, behave in a situation
each one consists of our perception of our self and incorporates our experience on this dimension
- if schema = v extreme dimesnsion (eg. v high or low) person can be described as ‘self-schematic’ in that dimension. If schema not v important = ‘self-aschematic’
Markus and Sentis suggested we have a future self-schema too
-self-schemas being complex and varied = beneficial
-How organisation of selfschemas affect thoughts:
-self schemas become active in certain situations and provide info on how to respond -> dimesions where were self-schematic = more likely to be activated in relevant domains
(ps much faster at pressing button in study when trait shown was self-schematic)
Control theory of self-regulation
(Theory of self-concept maintenance)
cognitive feedback loop - 4 stages?
carver and scheier- through self regulation we can judge whether we’re meeting our goals
-central element to the theory is the cognitive feedback loop which shows 4 steps of self-regulation:
1- test - compare self against 1 of 2 standards(private or public)
2- operate - change in behaviour to meet standard
3- Re-test - compare self with own(priavte) or others(public) views –fall short= feedback to start–
4- exit - if self and standard are now in line
Self-Discrepancy theory (higgins)
(Theory of self-concept maintenance)
3 types of self-schema?
2types of self-discrepancy? what emotional responses are caused?
focuses not only on awareness of discrepancies between actual and ideal but also emotional responses
3 types of self-schema:
1- actual self
2- ideal self
3- ought self
people motivated to make 1 and 2 same
bigger discrepancy between 1 and 2 =more psychological discomfort
(2+3 = self-guide)
2 types of self-discrepancy lead to different emotional responses:
1) actual-ideal discrepancy = absence of positive outcomes, which results in dejection-related emotions eg. sad/disappointed
2)actual-ought discrepancy = associated with presence of negative outcomes = agitation -related emotions
Self-discrepancy theory suggest: by generating negative arousal, discrepancies will motivate people to reduce discomfort they’re experiencing
BUT, negative emotions can hinder self-regulation = make impulse decisions= short term happiness and long term goal more distant
Social comparison theory
theory of individual comparison
we learn to define the self by comparing ourself with others. It argues: beliefs, feelings and behaviours are subjective (no external benchmark)
But, with external validation = there is a benchmark and it provides sense of validation
-upward comparisons= with someone perceived as better
-downward comparisons= someone perceived as lower
motivation = desire for an accurate self-evaluation
Self-evaluation maintenance model
how we maintain a postive self-esteem when comparing self to others
2 ways we respond
social reflection = when we derive our self-esteem from the success of those close to us: (need 2 conditions):
1)domain in which our friend is successful is irrelevant to us
2) we must be certain of our own abilites
without these causes upward comparison = bad for SE
4 strategies for maintaining positive self-concept:
1- exaggerate others ability- in different league
2- switch comparison to someone less successful
3- down play similarities or emotionally/physically distance self
4- devalue dimension of comparison
Social Identity Approach
(Theory of group comparison)
aspects of the self can be divided into those that: (2 options)
aspects of the self can be divided into those that:
reflect personal identity(idiosyncratic aspects)
reflect social identity(social groups)
some of the self depends on which identity is most prominent at that time
Brewer and Gardner (1996) 3 types of self
Theory of group comparison
1) individual self- traits that make us different to others
2) relational self- relationships with significant others
3) collective self- membership in social groups
Self-categorisation Theory
(Theory of group comparison)
meta-contrast principle?
focuses on the set of group norms that define collective identites
-when persons soical identity becomes salient, their perception of self becomes depersonalised= may cause ‘meta-contrast principle’= exaggerate similarities within groups and differences with outgroup
Self-esteem definition?
development of SE? - 2 dimensions for parenting style
Characteristics of the following parenting styles?
Authoritative?
Authoritarian?
Permissive?
Robins study?
subjective appraisal of self as intrinisically positive or negative
development=
-parenting style can affect SE later on, 2 dimensions:
1)demanding or not
2) responsiveness
authoritative parents= kids with high SE
(high in both dimensions)
authoritarian = overly strict + demanding and non-responsive
Permissive = not strict but are responsive
Robins study:
6-11 = self-esteem stable
20s= most stable
60s = self esteem stability declines
Consequences of SE
Baumeister found: low SE don’t have low SE in absolute terms, only in relative terms when compared with high SE people.
1)mood regulation: low SE=less likely to make effort to regulate happy mood + more likely to dampen good feelings from memories, also less likely to expres goals likely to improve mood=maladaptive
2) Narcissism - high SE= high aggression (in certain circumstances)
those who respond with aggression to an ego threat= narcissistic –> extremely high SE, but it’s unstable, so rely on validation from others
Bushman and Baumeister found: positive relationship between aggression and narcissism
Self Motives
1- self-assessment - we are motivated to have an accurate self-perception
2- self verification - confirm/reassure our self concept is accurate
3- self-enhancement - desire to seek out info that will show us in a positive light
(2 and 3 conflict for low SE individuals)
no.3 = most powerful self motive
Self enhancement
strategies to enhance personal self?
(theory and a bias)
Stategies to enhance social slef
self-enhancement = its adaptive to have high SE, but not too high
1(strategies to enhance personal self:
-self-affirmation theory = SE damaged we try to publicly affirm positive aspects of self
- self-serving attribution bias= when successful, we show a self-enhancing bias, by attributing success to internal characteristics
2)strategies to enhance social self - deriving positive self-image from group memberships
-want collective positive identity= explains ingroup bias(=benefits due to group)
-usually ‘buffer’ self to avoid association with low status group
-‘social change strategy’ can be used by low status groups. They compete with higher status groups to increase status
OR
-‘social creativity strategy’ =finding new dimensions where they compete more favourably
OR
-members may disidentify with group
Cialdini et al - disidentification theory - football team successful more fans wear merchandise = ‘Basking i reflected glory’// opposite= ‘cutting off reflected failure’
Individualistic vs Collectivist?
Biculturalism?
–Individualistic culture =think of self as unique individual
– Collectivist= encouraged to conform
Gardner primed students with more individualistic or collectivist view. Individualistic= more individual self description
Biculturalism = incorporate 2 cultures
- the alternation model= an individual can deal with multiple identities(depending on situation) - many benefits to this
