The self Flashcards
(34 cards)
Define self-concept
Views and beliefs about ourselves
Define self-esteem
Our attitude toward ourselves
Define self-regulation
Monitor and adjust behaviours to reach goals
Define self-presentation
The process through which we try to control the impressions people form of us
What cognitive strategy involves comparing oneself to others who are better off?
Upward social comparison
Provide an example of upward social comparison
Comparing yourself to a professional skier when you have never skied
What cognitive strategy involves comparing oneself to others who are worse off?
Downward social comparison
Provide an example of downward social comparison
Comparing yourself (a good dancer) to a new dancer
What is self-serving attribution?
Taking personal credit for successes and blaming external forces for failures
What is the self-serving bias?
Tendency to take personal credit for successes and blame external forces for failures
What can self-serving attributions lead to?
Self-handicapping
Define self-handicapping
Creating obstacles so that there is an excuse for why we did poorly
What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Individuals with low ability in a domain overestimate their competence, while high ability individuals tend to underestimate theirs
Define unrealistic optimism
Tendency to overestimate positive events and underestimate negative events about our future
What does exaggerating strengths/minimizing weaknesses involve?
Valuing characteristics/abilities you have and devaluing those you don’t have
What type of threat can lead to enhancing self-esteem?
Poor performance → ‘false feedback’ in experiments
What is a situational factor that can negatively affect self-esteem?
Negative interpersonal feedback
What is mortality salience?
Awareness of one’s own inevitable death
How do individualistic cultures view themselves?
As independent entities with identity based on individual traits
What trait is self-esteem grounded in within individualistic cultures?
Personal self-concepts
How do people in collectivistic cultures view themselves?
As interdependent entities with identity based on group members and attributions
What trait is self-esteem grounded in within collectivistic cultures?
Interdependent/social concepts
Why do we self-present?
To obtain desirable resources from others, construct a self-image, and enable social encounters to run smoothly
What is the spotlight effect?
The belief that people notice us more than they really do
