Self-Identity Flashcards
(22 cards)
What are the basic aspects of ‘self’ in self-concept?
Self-concepts involve understanding of:
-Physical being (e.g., having a body)
-Internal/mental characteristics (beliefs, values, personality)
-Social characteristics (roles, relationships)
What evidence suggests self-concepts exist in infancy?
Around 3-5 months: Infants show some understanding of their physical self, like recognizing their own legs in a flipped video.
Around 8 months: Separation anxiety develops, indicating awareness of self and others.
How does the Mirror Task (Rouge Task) test self-concept?
The mirror task (or ‘Rouge Task’) tests self-recognition by placing a mark on a child’s face and observing if they recognize the mark in the mirror and touch their own face.
Do all species demonstrate self-awareness in mirrors?
Many species do not recognize themselves in mirrors, perceiving the reflection as an extension of the external world. Species that pass the mirror test include chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, elephants, killer whales, and magpies.
At what age do children typically recognize themselves in a mirror and what other milestones occur around this time?
Around 18 months, infants begin to link their image in the mirror to themselves, indicated by touching a mark on their head.
By age 2-2.5 years, children recognize themselves in photographs, use pronouns like ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ and show complex emotions like embarrassment, pride, shame, and guilt.
According to Susan Harter, how does self-concept develop in childhood?
Susan Harter’s work suggests that a child’s sense of self is socially constructed, based on how others treat and evaluate them. She used interviews to gather common ideas and create composite statements representing typical self-descriptions at different ages.
How do self-descriptions differ between 3-4 year olds and 8-11 year olds?
3-4 year olds: Self-concept focuses on concrete, observable characteristics like activities, abilities, and basic traits, with unrealistically positive self-evaluations.
8-11 year olds: Social comparison becomes important, with a focus on others’ evaluations and more nuanced, realistic (and less positive) self-descriptions.
What are some common beliefs about self-concept in adolescence?
Adolescents often believe their feelings and experiences are unique (personal fable) and worry about others’ judgments (imaginary audience/spotlight effect).
How do self-descriptions differ between middle adolescence (15 years) and early adulthood (18 years)?
15-year-olds: Introspective, concerned with contradictions.
18-year-olds: More integrated, less concerned with others’ opinions, focus on personal values.
What is Erik Erikson’s theory of identity formation in adolescence?
Erik Erikson’s theory states that each developmental stage has a crisis to resolve. Adolescence/early adulthood involves the crisis of identity vs. role confusion, requiring exploration to figure out ‘who you really are’. A ‘psychosocial moratorium’ (like college) allows time for this exploration.
What are James Marcia’s four identity status categories?
Identity Diffusion: No commitments, not exploring.
Foreclosure: Commitment without exploration, based on others’ values.
Moratorium: Exploring choices, not yet committed.
Identity Achievement: Coherent identity based on personal choices.
How does identity status relate to well-being?
People committed to an identity tend to have higher well-being, self-esteem, and emotional stability, regardless of whether commitment is through foreclosure or exploration. This finding is primarily based on research in Western societies.
What is ethnic identity and how does it differ from race?
Ethnic identity is an individual’s sense of belonging to an ethnic group and the extent to which they attribute their thoughts, feelings, and behavior to that membership. Ethnicity is learned and refers to cultural expression, while race is a social construct based on perceived physical characteristics.
How does ethnic identity develop during childhood?
By early school years, children know common characteristics of their ethnic group and have feelings about being members. Between 5 and 8, they identify with their ethnic group and understand their ethnicity as unchanging.
What challenges do children of ethnic minorities face in developing ethnic identity?
Minority group members face greater challenges, including culture clashes, awareness of discrimination, and internalization of stereotypes.
How does ethnic identity impact self-esteem?
A strong sense of ethnic identity can positively impact self-esteem, especially for minority group members. This may act as a protective factor.
How does being a numeric minority or majority affect the link between ethnic identity and self-esteem?
In mainland U.S., European Americans are the numeric majority, while Asian Americans are a numeric minority. In Hawaii, this is reversed. Ethnic identity is linked with self-esteem when one’s ethnic group is the numeric minority.
Why is a strong sense of ethnic identity important for minority group members?
For minority group members, a strong sense of ethnic identity is a protective factor, positively linked with self-esteem. Parents, community leaders, and teachers play an important role in supporting the development of minority ethnic identity.
Is it true that if parents don’t mention race, children won’t grow up to be racist?
Children learn prejudice from various sources, including non-verbal behavior, TV, teachers, and peers, not just from parents.
What did the Clark Doll Test reveal about children’s internalization of stereotypes?
The Clark Doll Test showed that preschool children internalize stereotypes, even negative ones about their own group. Black children showed use of stereotypes about attractiveness, good behavior, and intelligence.
What is the basis for children’s prejudice, as demonstrated in the South Africa test case?
Children pick up on the social status of groups. In South Africa, Black children (majority population with lower social status) showed less-strong own-race preferences, indicating they track social status.
How can we prevent the development of prejudice in children?
Positive representation in children’s media matters. Parents/caregivers should talk to young children openly about race, ethnicity, and prejudice.
