Social Psych Week 8- The Self

The Self

The totality of the individual, consisting of all characteristic attributes, conscious and unconscious, mental and physical

Identity

An individual’s sense of self defined by:

• A set of physical, psychological, and interpersonal characteristics that is not wholly shared with any other person and a range of affiliations and social roles

Self-focused Attention

The direction of conscious attention on oneself and one’s thoughts, needs, desires, and emotions, or the capacity of an individual to analyze and evaluate his or her mental and emotional states. (also called self awareness)

Self-Consciousness

Publicly induced self-awareness in which the self-concept becomes highly accessible because of our concerns about being observed and potentially judged by others

Self-Monitoring

Tendency to be both motivated and capable of regulating our behavior to meet the demands of social situations

Self-Concept

Cognitive framework comprising organized information and beliefs about the self that guides a person’s perception of the world

• Beliefs about oneself

• Attitudes about oneself

Cognitive Schema

A collection of basic knowledge about a concept or entity that serves as a guide to perception, interpretation, imagination, or problem solving

Self-Complexity

The extent to which individuals have many different and relatively independent ways of thinking about themselves

Self-Esteem

The degree to which the qualities and characteristics contained in one’s self-concept are perceived to be positive

Self-protection

A strategic behavior designed to avoid losing, either self-esteem or the esteem of others

Self-enhancement

Any strategic behavior designed to increase either self-esteem or the esteem of others

Social Status

Extent to which we are viewed positively and are esteemed by others

Self-presentation

The tendency to present a positive self-image to others, with the goal of increasing our social status

Narcissism

A personality trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and self-centeredness

Social Comparison

Occurs when we learn about or abilities and skills, about the appropriateness and validity of our opinions, and about our relative social status by comparing our own attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of others

• Upward Social Comparisons: Comparing ourselves to someone perceived as better

• Downward Social Comparisons: Comparing ourselves to someone perceived as worse