3. the social self

what are other ppl better at judging about us? what are we better at judging about ourselves?

• other ppl have better info for judging our external traits bc they can observe our overt behavior

• we are better judges of our internal traits

self-schemas

a cognitive structure, derived from past exp, that reps ppl’s beliefs and feelings abt themselves, both in general and in particular kinds of situations

schematic

when a trait is schematic, it’s more important to you and so you more likely have a self-schema regarding that certain trait

socialization agents

agents that help us learn what attitudes and behaviors are socially appropriate (parents, siblings, teachers, peers, etc.)

reflected self-appraisals

our belief abt what others think abt us (how one thinks others see the self)

self-appraisal

how one sees the self

situationism

the notion that the social self changes across different contexts

working self-concept

the idea that only a subset of a person’s vast pool of self-knowledge is brought to mind in any given context

independent self-construal (what defines it?)

conception of the self in terms of personal traits/attributes that are stable across time and social context. emphasis on individuality

interdependent self-construal (what defines it?)

the self is fundamentally connected to other ppl, so it’s defined by social relationships, roles, and duties

relational interdependent self-construal

focus on viewing the self as connected to other individuals

collective interdependent self-construal

focus on viewing the self in relation to social groups or collectives

social comparison theory

the idea that ppl compare themselves to other ppl to obtain an accurate assessment of their own opinions, abilities, and internal states

downward social comparisons

comparing yourself to others you perceive as worse off, typically to boost self-esteem and enhance well-being

upward social comparisons

comparing yourself to people better off, typically when you want to focus on improving yourself

social identities

the parts of a person’s sense of self that are derived from grp memberships

self-stereotyping

the phenomenon whereby ppl come to define themselves in terms of traits, norms, and values that they associate w a social grp when their identity as a member of that grp is salient

self-esteem maintenance theory

the theory that we desire to maintain, increase, or protect positive views of the self

self-esteem

the overall positive or negative evaluation ppl have of themselves

how is self-esteem usually evaluated?

self-report measures

are ppl w low self-esteem ambivalent towards themselvevs?

yes. only ppl who have REALLY LOW self-esteem truly dislike themselves

trait self-esteem

a person’s enduring lvl of self-regard across time

state self-esteem

the dynamic, changeable self-evaluations a person experiences as momentary feelings abt the self

Jennifer Crocker’s contingencies of self-worth model

the thesis that ppl’s self-esteem is contingent on their successes and failures in domains they deem important to their self-worth

Mark Leary’s sociometer hypothesis

the idea that self-esteem is an internal, subjective index or marker of the extent to which a person is included or looked on favorably by others

• the idea that self-esteem is moreso an indicator of our social standing, not a gauge of how you actually evaluate yourself

self-enhancement

the desire to maintain, increase, or protect one’s positive self-views

better-than-average effect

the finding that most ppl think they’re above avg on various personality traits and ability dimensions

self-__ interpretations of different traits are one means of pursuing self-enhancement

serving

ppl tend to judge others by the way they are on __, but define themselves in terms of how they behave when they’re at their __

average, best

self-affirmation theory

the idea that ppl can maintain an overall sense of self-worth after being exposed to psychologically threatening info by affirming a valued aspect of themselves unrelated to the threat

double curse of incompetence

incompetent ppl are deficient not only in the skills needed to perform better but also in the very knowledge necessary for accurately recognizing their incompetence

Taylor and Brown’s positive illusion thesis

the argument that self-knowledge often includes positive illusions abt the self — that we are funnier, smarter, or warmer than we really are — and that such illusions, far from being detrimental, actually enhance well-being

2 challenges to the positive illusion thesis

• accurate views foster well-being and other pos outcomes — self-enhancers are seen as narcissistic while those without are seen more positively

• East Asians are less likely than Westerners to endorse positive illusions abt the self, and this doesn’t necessarily indicate enhanced well-being since personal well-being for East Asians is more tied to interdependent values, such as fulfilling social roles and meeting others’ expectations

self-verification theory

the theory that ppl strive for others to view them as they view themselves; such verification of one’s views of the self helps ppl maintain a sense of coherence and predictability

self-enhancement seems to be most relevant to our __ responses to feedback ourselves, whereas self-verification determines our more __ assessments of how valid that feedback is

emotional, cognitive

self-regulation

process by which ppl initiate and control their behavior in the pursuit of goals, including the ability to resist short-term rewards that thwart the attainment of long-term goals

Tory Higgins’ self-discrepancy theory

a theory that behavior is motivated by standards reflecting ideal and ought selves; falling short of these standards elicits specific emotions and may lead to efforts to get closer to them

actual self

the self that ppl believe they are

ideal self

the self that embodies ppl’s wishes and aspirations

ought self

the self that is concerned w the duties, obligations, and external demands ppl feel they are compelled to honor

feared self

the self you fear becoming

discrepancies btwn the actual and ideal self produce __-related emotions (disappointment, shame), and discrepancies btwn the actual and the ought self produce __-related emotions (guilt, panic, anxiety)

dejection, agitation

promotion focus

self-regulation of behavior w respect to ideal self-standards; a focus on attaining positive outcomes thru approach-related behaviors

prevention focus

self-regulation of behavior w respect to ought self-standards; a focus on avoiding negative outcomes thru avoidance-related behaviors

ppl from independent cultures are more likely to have a __ focus. East Asian and other interdependent cultures more likely to have a __ focus

promotion, prevention

high-level construals focus on… + what does it facilitate?

abstract, global, and core features. facilitates self-control since they emphasize ppl’s larger goals and values

low-level construals emphasize

salient, incidental, and concrete details

goal intentions

specifying a goal one wants to achieve (so all you know you want to achieve is that general goal)

implementation intentions

an “if-then” plan to engage in a goal directed behavior (“then”) whenever a particular cue "(“if”) is encountered

facing temptations reminds us of our __, and thinking abt those put temptations out of conscious awareness. such findings mainly apply to…?

goals, important goals which we’ve had significant past success resisting temptation of

the public self

a self we actively create in our social interactions and is shaped by the perceptions of other ppl and the perceptions we want others to have of us

self-presentation

presenting the person we would like others to believe we are

impression management

refer to how we attempt to control the particular impressions other ppl form abt us

Erving Goffman’s dramaturgic perspective on the social self

social interaction can be thought of as a drama of self-presentation in which we attempt to create and maintain an impression of ourselves in the minds of others

face

the public img of ourself that we want others to believe

self-monitoring (Goffman)

the tendency to monitor one’s behavior to fit the current situation

how do high and low self-monitors act?

high self-monitors - scrutinize situations and, like actors, shift their self-presentation and behavior according to the ppl present and situation at hand

low self-monitors - more likely to behave according to their own traits and preferences, regardless of social context

self-handicapping

the tendency to engage in self-defeating behavior in order to have an excuse ready should one perform poorly or fail

correspondent inference theory

the belief that we can learn about internal traits by watching external behaviors

partner-enhancing bias

appears in good relationships

partner-derogating bias

appears in bad relationships

“lay theory” or folk theory

ppl use naive psychology to explain behaviors

2-step attribution process

1. automatic internal attribution - you immediately make dispositional attributions

2. effortful situational attribution - after some thought, you consider the context (situational attributions)

augmenting principle

judgment to assign greater weight to cause of behavior if other causes present would normally produce the opposite outcome

3 expectations for formation of attributions

1. consistency: would the individual act the same way over a period of time?

2. distinctiveness: would the individual act the same way for other events?

3. consensus: would other ppl act in the same way as the individual acts?

situation is attributed to personality if there is (3 factors)

high consistency, low distinctiveness, low consensus

belief in a just world/just-world hypothesis

cognitive bias that the world is a fundamentally fair place where ppl get what they deserve

3 parts to the self (NOT a part of the self-discrepancy theory)

• the individual/reflexive self

• the relational self

• the executive self

reflexive/individual self

refers to thinking abt the self and who you are

• self-serving biases

• actor-observer effect

• implicit egotism

• self-concept

possible selves

the different selves or roles that a person plays, similar to how an actor might in a play. these selves prescribe particular types of behaviors in certain social situaions

3 motives for self-knowledge

appraisal: to learn accurate info abt the self

consistency: to learn info abt the self that corresponds w what we alr know

self-enhancement: to learn favorable info abt the self, even if it’s not accurate (BEST)

2 implicit self-theories + what are the theorists called?

• growth mindset: changeable - incremental theorists believe we are able to increase (incrementally) the amt of ability that we have

• fixed mindset: unchangeable - entity theorists believe that we are born w a fixed amt of ability that will not ever change

relational self

refers to thinking abt the self in relation to other ppl

BIRG

Basking in Reflected Glory - we try to associate ourselves w ppl who will make us look good (for unimportant activity)

CORF

Cutting Off Reflected Failure, for personally important events

the executive self

ppl have a strong desire to control events

“what the hell”/setback effect

minor lapse in self-control leads to an “all-or'-nothing” mindset - person abandons goal bc they feel they’ve alr had failure