Social Self

social self

our understanding of who we are, shaped by thoughts, feelings, actions, and social interactions

components of the social self

• cognitive: thoughts and beliefs —> self-concept (who I am)

• affective: feelings about the self —> self-esteem (how I feel about who I am)

• behavioral: actions —> self-presentation (how I show myself to other

nature of the social self

William James called it “the social me” —> our sense of self comes largely from relationships with others

self-concept

our mental picture of ourselves as a distinct individual; measured by Twenty Statements Test (TST)

biological disposition

personality traits- big 5:

• openness

• conscientiousness

• extraversion

• agreeableness

• neuroticism

family dynamics

birth order shapes personality

• first born= dominant/assertive

• later-borns= agreeable/open to experience

individualist (independent)

focus on self (US) —> “squeaky wheel gets the grease”

collectivist (interdependent)

focus on group (Japan) —> “nail that sticks out gets pounded down”

gender

women= relational focus (relationships matter most)

men= collective focus (groups/roles matter most)

social comparison

compare ourselves to others

upward comparison

compare to better people —> can motivate but hurt self-esteem

downward comparison

compare to worst off people —> boosts self-esteem

self perception

we infer our own attitudes by observing our behavior like an outsider

self-discrepancy theory

we have

• actual self- who we are now

• ideal self- who we want to be

• ought self- who we should be (duties/obligations)

  • big gaps between these selves lower self-esteem

self-evaluation maintenance model (SEM)

we want to feel good about ourselves

social comparison

compare when it boosts self-esteem

reflection

when others succeed, we share their success (“bask in reflected glory”)

self-serving bias

success = me, failure = situation

unrealistic optimism

believe we’re less likely than others to experience bad outcomes

self-handicapping

create excuses ahead of time to protect ego if we fail

downward comparison

compare to worse-off others to feel better

impression management

control how others see us

strategic self-presentation

image to achieve a goal

self-verification

act in ways that confirm who we believe we are

self-monitoring

adjust behvaior to fit the situation or audience

self-disclosure

sharing personal info with others —> linked to well-being