psy231 chapter 5 : culture, self & identity

self-concept

The cognitive representations of who one is, that is, the ideas or images that one has about oneself, especially in relation to others, and how and why one behaves. The sum of one’s idea about one’s self, including physical, mental, historical, and relational aspects, as well as capacities to learn and perform. Self-concept is usually considered central to personal identity and change over time. It is usually considered partially conscious and partially unconscious or inferred in a given situation.

independent self-construal

A sense of self that views the self as a bounded entity, clearly separated from relevant others.

interdependent self-construal

A sense of self that views the self as unbounded, flexible, and contingent on context. This sense of self is based on a principle of the fundamental connectedness among people.

cultural worldviews

Culturally specific belief systems about the world. They contain attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and values about the world. People have worldviews because of evolved, complex cognition; thus, having a worldview is a universal psychological process. The specific content of worldviews, however, is specific to and different for each culture.

self-esteem

The cognitive and affective evaluations we make about ourselves.

self-effacement

The tendency to downplay one’s virtues.

identity denial

When an individual is not recognized as a member of a group with which they identify.

cultural frame switching

The process by which bicultural (or multicultural) individuals switch between one cultural meaning system and another depending on context.

cultural reaffirmation effect

The amplified endorsement of home cultural values by bicultural individuals. For example, Kosmitzki (1996) examined monocultural and bicultural Germans and Americans who made trait attribute ratings of themselves, their native cultural group, and their adoptive cultural group. Bicultural individuals endorsed even more traditional values associated with their native culture than did native monocultural individuals in those native cultures.

mutual self-enhancement

Self-enhancement that is achieved through the giving and receiving of compliments between partners in close relationships.

tactical self-enhancement

The idea that people of different cultures all self-enhance, but they choose to do it in different ways (i.e., tactically).