Unit 3 Flashcards
(39 cards)
How does the concept of “possible selves” relate to documenting personal growth on social networking sites?
Facebook and other social networking sites allow users to accumulate postings that reveal a sense of who they are over time. This can include photos, important events, thoughts and feelings, and everyday activities, providing a record of personal growth.
How do online interactions on social media, like Facebook, relate to the illusion of transparency?
Unlike face-to-face interactions, Facebook interactions can occur anytime and anywhere. Users also have more time to compose and craft their messages, potentially influencing how others perceive them.
How do self-presentation tactics, such as self-promotion and self-deprecation, manifest on Facebook and impact privacy concerns?
Facebook offers opportunities to control self-presentation, as users can choose what to share and adjust privacy settings. However, posts by friends, tags in photos, and Facebook’s data policy can impact privacy.
Considering the spotlight effect, why do people tend to portray themselves more positively on social media than in reality?
Individuals are often concerned with managing their online image and creating a favorable impression. Social media allows for selective self-presentation, emphasizing positive aspects and minimizing negative ones.
Does introspection align with the concept of self-schemas? Is introspection always an accurate method for understanding the self?
Introspection is looking inward to discover the causes of one’s own behavior. However, research shows that we may not always have conscious access to the reasons for our actions.
How can the illusion of transparency contribute to inaccurate inferences drawn from introspection about our feelings?
When we introspect about our feelings, we may generate reasons that seem logical but are not necessarily accurate. This can lead to false conclusions because our original feelings, often driven by unconscious factors, may persist.
How does affective forecasting relate to the concept of “possible selves”?
Affective forecasting is predicting our future feelings in response to an event. It’s difficult because we may not accurately anticipate how we would react in specific circumstances, neglecting to consider other factors that will influence our emotions.
Does spending money on others versus ourselves affect self-esteem?
Research suggests that spending money on others leads to greater happiness than spending money on ourselves, contrary to what most people believe.
Can taking an observer’s perspective on ourselves provide insight into our self-schemas?
Observers tend to focus on the actor’s behavior and attribute it to dispositional causes, while actors focus outwardly and attribute behavior to situational causes. Adopting an observer’s perspective encourages seeing ourselves in terms of consistent traits, offering self-insight.
explain the difference between personal identity and social identity?
Personal identity focuses on our unique individual attributes, distinguishing us from others within a group (intragroup comparison). Social identity emphasizes shared attributes with other group members, distinguishing our group from other groups (intergroup comparison).
How does the salience of personal versus social identity affect the activation of different self-schemas?
When personal identity is salient, we describe ourselves in terms of traits that make us unique. When social identity is salient, we describe ourselves in terms of attributes shared with our group and contrasting with other groups.
How do the concepts of social surroundings, self-interest, self-concern, and social relationships in the “Unit 3 - SOCIAL PSY.pdf” document correspond to the factors influencing which aspect of the self is most influential?
Several factors can influence which self-aspect is salient, including:
○ Relevance to the context: Certain aspects of the self may be more relevant in specific situations (e.g., being “fun” at a party vs. “hardworking” at work).
○ Distinctiveness: An attribute that makes us stand out in a particular context can become a defining feature of our self-perception.
○ Importance to the self: Aspects of the self that are highly valued are more likely to be salient.
○ Linguistic cues: How others refer to us can activate personal or social identities. Nouns tend to trigger social identities, while adjectives or verbs may activate personal identities.
Explain the post-consumer regret process in terms of personal and social identity salience.
Post-consumer regret can occur when the self-aspect salient at the time of purchase differs from the self-aspect salient when evaluating the purchase. For example, choosing a film while the “socialite” self is active may lead to regret when watching it with the “scholarly” self activated.
Relate upward and downward social comparisons to the concepts of “keeping up with the Joneses” and self-esteem
Downward social comparisons (comparing to someone less capable) can boost self-esteem. Upward social comparisons (comparing to someone more capable) can be threatening to self-image.
How does the self-evaluation maintenance model align with the discussion of social comparison and self-esteem
The self-evaluation maintenance model suggests we manage self-esteem through social comparisons. When others outperform us on important domains, we may distance ourselves. When they perform worse, we may align ourselves with them, enhancing our self-image.
How does social identity theory, as discussed in the “Unit 3 - SOCIAL PSY.pdf” document, explain responses to a high-performing ingroup member?
When social identity is salient, a high-performing ingroup member can enhance the group’s image, leading to positive evaluations of that person. The individual’s success reflects favorably on the group as a whole.
Is the above-average effect related to the spotlight effect or the illusion of transparency?
The above-average effect is the tendency to believe we are better than average on most dimensions. It contributes to positive self-perceptions and predicts increases in self-esteem over time.
Can positive illusions be considered a form of self-handicapping?
Positive illusions are unrealistic optimistic beliefs about ourselves and our future. While they may seem irrational, research suggests they are generally adaptive, contributing to higher motivation, persistence, and overall well-being.
How does the “Unit 3 - SOCIAL PSY.pdf” document explain the impact of migration on self-esteem, particularly in relation to self-concept and social identity?
Migration can initially challenge self-esteem, especially for international students. Adjustment improves over time through increased self-efficacy, social support, and forming a shared identity with other migrants.
How do the concepts of individualism and collectivism relate to differences in self-esteem between men and women?
Research consistently finds that men report higher self-esteem than women, particularly in cultures where women occupy lower-status positions and experience discrimination.
Explain the impact of perceiving oneself as a target of discrimination on self-esteem, considering the concepts of low self-esteem and its consequences.
Perceiving discrimination can harm self-esteem and well-being by signaling exclusion, devaluation, and lack of control. This effect is stronger for disadvantaged groups and when discrimination is perceived as pervasive.
How do the consequences of concealing a stigmatized identity relate to the concept of self-presentation?
While concealing a stigmatized identity may protect against discrimination, it can lead to feelings of inauthenticity, loneliness, and stress. Research shows negative health and well-being outcomes associated with concealing one’s true self.
Explain stereotype threat in the context of self-schemas and possible selves.
Stereotype threat occurs when individuals fear confirming negative stereotypes about their group, leading to anxiety and impaired performance in stereotype-relevant domains. For example, women reminded of stereotypes about math ability may perform worse on math tests.
Can self-affirmation and exposure to positive role models be considered strategies for bolstering self-esteem in the face of stereotype threat?
Several strategies can mitigate stereotype threat, including:
○ Self-affirmation: Focusing on one’s valued attributes can buffer against stereotype threat.
○ Exposure to role models: Seeing successful individuals from one’s stigmatized group can counteract negative stereotypes.
