Social Self Flashcards
(17 cards)
Driving social psychology
Scientific study of how individuals think, feel + behave in social context
Scientific methods of systems conservation, description and measurement
How individuals think, feel + behave: even when studying groups of people, the focus is on individual in the group
Social contexts: social nature of individuals- can include non social factors such as effects of heat on aggression
Social psychology: questions and applications
Through social psychology you learn to understand your own actions + what happens in world through scientific methods
Social psychology can result in a ‘I knew that all along’ or ‘everyone knows that’ thinking.
Frustrating if you talk to friends/ partitioners
- people will like activity more if you offer them large reward for doing it
- playing contact sports or violent video games makes people less likely to vent their anger in violent ways
- mixing groups results in less discrimination
History of social psychology
First research articles in social psych:
Triplett (1897-1898) Bicyclists race faster when racing in roesnce of others than against clock
Ringelmann (1913) people’s individual performances in rope pulling are better when they Cary out task with other
World war 2 had large impact on social psychology
Kurt Lewin (1890-1947): behaviour is a function of the interaction between the person and environment V psychoanalysis and behaviorism
1970s onwards: multiple research methods and combination of different disciplines.
Social psychology and cognitive psychology results in social cognition
Aspects of social self
Self-concept: how do ppl come to know themselves
Self-esteem: how do ppl evaluate themselves
Behavioural feedback + emotion
Coles et al. (2019) meta-analysis of facial feedback hypothesis
Particpants instructed to sat slumped or upright: those sitting upright felt more pride after succeeding a task
Particpants instructed to lean forward with their fists clenched or in slumped position
Those who leaned forward reported more anger; the others more sadness
Do we know ourselves better than out friends know us?
We know ourselves better than friends on internal traits that are hard to observe
No diference between us and friends in external observance traits
Friends know us better than we know ourselves on observable traits for which we have motivated blind spots
Effect fo rewards on intrinsic motivation
Kids could play with toys and were observed via one-way screen
They played 17% of time with colour marker
Overjustification effect
Tendency for intrinsic motivation to diminish for activities that have become associated with reward or other extrinsic factors
No external reward: ‘i do this because i like it’ (intrinsic motivation)
External reward: ‘I do this cus I’m paid to: (extrinsic motivation)
Social comparisons
People evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others
When and with whom do we turn to togers for comparison?
- when: more likely when we are in state of uncertainty
- with whom: more likely with people similar to us
Autobiographical memories
Do memories shape our self-concept ? - not straightforward:
Revision of fading memories that put ourselves in better light — partcipants asked to recall their high school grades which were compared with actual marks - most errors occured in grade inflations
People feel psychologically closer to their positive than to their negative memories
Our current self-concept colours what we remember from the past
Self esteem
An affective component of the self-consisting of a perons positive and negative self evaluations
Need for positive self-esteem
Humans are social animals in need of approval from others
Self-esteem protects us from possibility that we humans are designed only to die and decay
Self-focusing effect on behaviour (Bateson et al, 2006)
Customers trusted to pay for their tea and coffee in honesty boxes
Hanging on wall behind punter was poster that feature flowers or pair of eyes
Ppl paid nearly 3x more money in prentice of eyes
Using mirrors in shop will:
- decrease shoplifting
- make ppl more aware of themselves
Self-regulation
We control behaviour to strive personal + social aims
All self control efforts draw from single source and exercising self-control is like flexing muscle: it gets tired + looses strength
- deny yourself an ice cream and you will find it more difficult to hold your temper later on
Vohs et al, 2005:
- Ppl asked to write down their thoughts in next 6 mins - could think about anything they wanted (including white bear)
- ppl were asked to write down their thoughts in next 6 mins - could think about anything they wanted (except white bear)
- they then completed a BLIRT questionnaire
4 methods to enhance self-esteem: 1. Biased self-serving cognitions
We attribute success to ourselves + failures to environment/ others
View positive traits as more descriptive of themselves than negative traits
Overestimate their contribution to a team effort when team Performance was successful
Predict that they have brighter future
Seek more info about their own strengths than about their own weaknesses
Appealing to ppl who find positive image of themselves threatened
Conspiracy theorists:
- dangerous as they could undermine trust in institutions
4 methods to enhance self-esteem: 2. Self-handicapping strategies
When ppl are afraid of failing important task, they see excuses for possible future failures
Pursefullt delaying starting revising
Sandbagging
- play down ability
- lower expectations
- publicity predictions failure
4 methods to enhance self-esteem: 3. Basking in reflected glory
4 methods to enhance self-esteem: 4. Downward comparisons
Breast cancer patient interviews
