W4.a Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is the self?
According to William James (1890)
I (subject; agent; knower)
Me (object of reflection; known): entire set of beliefs, evaluations, perceptions and thoughts that people have about themselves
What is self-concept?
Mental representation of all of a person’s knowledge about his or her attributes.
E.g., beliefs, thoughts, memories, roles, relationships, groups…
What are the content dimensions of self-concept?
“Big Two”:
Communion (warmth): social relationships (friendly, fair)
Agency (competence): goal attainment (ambitious, capable)
Big Five: OCEAN
What is self-aspects?
Summaries of a person’s beliefs about the self in specific domains, roles or activities.
- Personal aspects
- Social aspects
- Domains: at work, at home, with friends… (Sometimes overlap with roles and groups; sometimes not)
What is “personal aspects” from self-aspects?
Personal selves, personal identities
- Features that distinguish you from others.
- Often traits (warm, extraverted)
What is “social aspects” from self-aspects?
Social selves, social identities
- Roles (relational): Features we possess in virtue of the roles and relationships we have.
- Group/social category memberships(collective): Features we possess because we are group members; those we share with others
Self-organization: Schema
What is “self-schema”?
Knowledge structure that links, organizes and “weights” self-concept components
Self-organization: narrative
What is “narrative self/identity”?
The story of who I am
Internalized, evolving story of the self that binds, organizes and provides meaning to self components aspects across time
How do future selves act as “self-guides”?
Standards that help us guide behavior
- Ought self: who should I be?
- Ideal self: who do I want to be?
- Self-Discrepancy Theory: Perceived discrepancies between our actual selves (who I am) and these self guides can drive behaviour
What is working self-concept?
The ‘now’ self, that guides acting, thinking and feeling in the moment.
How does working self-concept guide behavior?
Accessible self-knowledge impacted behavior.
Components of the social situation may make some aspects of the self more accessible.
Situational cues can activate working self-concepts that influence our behaviour.
Fazio et al (1981):
Situational cues encourage activation of introversion vs. extraversion-related self-knowledge.
How do I know who I am?
We construct and know ourselves via:
Social construction of self: social comparison, social feedback;
Personal construction of the self: introspection, self-perception
What is social comparison in social construction of self?
Process of comparing oneself to others.
-Can lead to assimilation or contrast
extreme target – contrast
moderate target – assimilate
Accurate self-concepts come from comparing to similar others.
What is social feedback in social construction of self?
Internalize our perceptions of how others see us.
Other people act as mirrors into our own self-concepts
Our selves are shaped by how we think others see us.
What is introspection in personal construction of self?
Looking inward at the contents of consciousness (thoughts and feelings).
Reasonable route to know what one is feeling or experiencing, it is less reliable in informing us about why.
How can introspection be functional?
When processing deeply, it can improve accuracy of self-knowledge.
When introspection reveals that one meets one’s standards, positive feelings can result.
It can increase self-consistency in behavior, more likely to act in accordance with one’s values
What is self-perception in personal construction of self?
Self perception theory (Bem, 1972): People infer self-knowledge by observing their own behaviors.
If people don’t have a good situational explanation, they infer a self-related explanation.
What is over-justification effect?
Lepper, Greene & amp; Nisbett (1973):
Expected reward: extrinsic motivation;
Unexpected reward: intrinsic motivation ;
No award: intrinsic motivation
What is the functions of the self?
We construct and present our selves in the service of mastery goals, belonging and value me and mine.
Self and mastery: constructing selves in the names of?
Accuracy
Control
What is “accuracy” in self and mastery?
Seek accurate self-knowledge
Self-verification: confirming what one believes about the self
People prefer relationship partners who agree with their own self-image, even of those views are negative
What is “control” in self and mastery?
People make upward social comparisons to motivate behavior and seek rewards
This process can:
- Provide info on how the task is done
- Change expectations about what is possible to achieve
- Increase motivation
Self and valuing (and protecting) me and mine
Self-enhancement motive
Self esteem
Self-protection
What is self-enhancement motives?
- Desire to maximize the positivity of one’s self views
- Define our self-concepts in ways that make us feel better about ourselves
Better than average effect (Lake Wobegon effect): Most people see themselves as above average
Self-enhancement may be different in different cultures
