Self-presentation

Question 1

What is self-presentation?

Answer 1

• Any behaviour that seeks to convey some image of self or some information about the self to other people
• The behavioural/effective aspect of self
• Through self-presentation people can increase their chances of being accepted by others and can claim a valued identity within a social system

Question 2

What are the 5 main forms of strategic self-presentation?

Answer 2

1. Self promotion: an attempt to persuade others that you are competent
2. Ingratiation: an attempt to get others to like you
3. Intimidation: an attempt to get others to think you are dangerous
4. Exemplification: an attempt to get others to regard you as a morally respectable individual
5. Supplication: an attempt to get others to take pity on you and see you as helpless and needy

Question 3

What is self-verification?

Answer 3

• The desire to have others perceive us as we truly perceive we are
  e. g. if you think you are a rebel, you will have a desire to have other people think this also and you may behave rebelliously and get tattoos

Question 4

How do people balance favourability and plausibility in self-presentation?

Answer 4

• We seek to make a as good/favourable impression as we can that we can get away with people believing

Question 5

What is self-monitoring?

Answer 5

• The tendency to change behaviour in response to the self-presentation concerns of the situation
  i. e. refers to the extent to which people rely on external or internal cues to guide their behaviour
• self-monitoring tends to decrease with age

Question 6

What are some characteristics of high self monitors?

Answer 6

• pay attention to external cues, such as group norms or what other people want, in deciding how to behave
• tend to engage in more strategic self-presentation
• highly adaptable to situations
• more likely to mimic demeanour of others in the group to facilitate integration/communication
• may be regarded as fickle/phony
• more likely to emerge as leaders

Question 7

What are some characteristics of low self monitors?

Answer 7

• are largely insensitive to external cues, instead deciding how to behave based on internal states like attitudes and values
• tend to engage self-verification presentation
• may regard themselves as principled/not pretentious
• may be regarded as stubborn/inflexible