Social Self, Social Cognition, and Social Attributions Flashcards

Physical Self-Description

Self-concept descriptions based on physical characteristics or traits that do not imply social interaction, such as "I am tall" or "I am a female".

Social Self-Description

Self-concept descriptions based on social roles, institutional memberships, or cultural identities, such as "I am a college student" or "I am a daughter".

Attribute Self-Description

Self-concept descriptions based on psychological or physiological traits and states, such as "I am intelligent", "I am caring", or "I am tired".

Global Self-Description

Broad or vague self-concept statements that do not distinguish an individual from other people, such as "I am a human being" or "I am alive".

Independent Cultures

Cultures (e.g., US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia) characterized by individualism, a need for distinctiveness, stable personal attributes, and viewing the self as a distinct entity with voluntary social bonds.

Interdependent Cultures

Cultures (e.g., Asia, Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe) characterized by collectivism, a desire for social harmony, variable attributes depending on context, and viewing the self as inextricably linked to others through social roles and obligations.

Independent View of Self Diagram

A visual model of self-construal where the self boundary is distinct and firm, separating individual aspects of identity from friends, family, and outgroups.

Interdependent View of Self Diagram

A visual model of self-construal where the self boundary overlaps with ingroup members like family and friends with permeable boundaries, placing identity within social relationships.

Better-Than-Average Effect

The tendency for individuals to overestimate their positive abilities and traits while underestimating their negative ones, a bias associated with mental health and self-esteem.

Dunning-Kruger Effect

A cognitive bias in which individuals with low expertise or skill in a domain overestimate their knowledge or performance because they lack the competence needed to recognize their errors.

Self-Esteem

An individual's overall positive or negative evaluation of themselves.

Contingencies of Self-Worth

A domain-specific source of self-esteem where self-evaluations depend on personal successes or failures in areas that an individual values.

Sociometer Theory

A theory proposing that self-esteem functions as a psychological gauge that monitors how well an individual is accepted or included by their social group.

Social Identity Theory

A theoretical framework stating that group membership forms a core part of self-concept and self-esteem, maintained through positive distinctiveness, ingroup status, and basking in reflected glory.

Positive Distinctiveness

The strategy of focusing on unique, favorable traits of one's ingroup relative to outgroups to maintain a high self-esteem.

Bask in Reflected Glory

The enhancement of self-esteem derived from the achievements or positive status of one's ingroup.

Social Cognition

The subfield of psychology that explores how individuals process, store, and apply information about