Social Self (CH 3)

Social Self

The self constructed, maintained, and negotiated in the social environment.

Malleability of Self

The social self is malleable, meaning it is not static.

Individual Self

Beliefs about our unique personal traits, abilities, or preferences.

Collective Self

Beliefs about our identities as members of social groups.

Relation Self

Beliefs about our identities in specific relationships.

Schema

Knowledge structure consisting of any organized body of stored knowledge.

Self Schema

Cognitive structure that reflects a person’s beliefs and feelings about the self.

Self-Reference Effect

Better memory for information related to ourselves.

Situationism

A large part of your 'self' varies based on the situation.

Trait vs. State

Trait: average version of you; State: how you are in different situations.

Working Self Concept

Subset of self knowledge relevant to a particular context.

Looking Glass Self

A person's self grows out of interpersonal interactions and perceptions of others.

Reflected Self Appraisals

Beliefs about what others think of our social selves.

Cultural Differences in Self

Individualists prioritize independence while collectivists focus on group membership.

Self-Construal

How individuals define themselves in relation to others.

Social Comparison Theory

The process of comparing oneself to others to evaluate opinions and abilities.

Upward Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone better to improve oneself.

Downward Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone worse to feel better.

Self-Esteem

The overall positive or negative evaluation an individual has of themselves.

Trait Self-Esteem

An enduring level of regard for oneself, relatively stable over time.

State Self-Esteem

Current level of regard for oneself that changes over time.

Contingencies of Self-Worth

Self-esteem is contingent on success in important domains.

Sociometer Hypothesis

Self-esteem is an internal index of the extent to which one is included by others.

Self-Enhancement

The desire to maintain and increase self-esteem or self-views.

Better than Average Effect

The tendency to believe one is better than average on various traits.

Self Complexity

Defining the self in terms of multiple, distinct domains.

Self Verification

The motivation to have stable and accurate self-beliefs.

Self-Regulation

Process of controlling behavior in pursuit of goals.

Self-Discrepancy Theory

The desire to reduce discrepancies between actual and possible selves.

Ideal Self

The person you want to be.

Ought Self

The person you feel you should be, based on others' expectations.

Promotion Focus

Focus on positive outcomes when working toward the ideal self.

Prevention Focus

Avoidance of negative outcomes when working toward the ought self.

Implementation Intentions

Plans for goal-directed behavior triggered by cues.

Self-Presentation

The way we would like others to perceive us.

Impression Management

Controlling how others view us through behavior.

Self-Monitoring

The tendency to adjust one's behavior to fit situational contexts.

Self-Handicapping

Engaging in self-defeating behavior to protect oneself from failure.

Cultural Variability in Self-Esteem

Differences in self-esteem priorities between cultures.

Motives Driving Self Evaluation

Self-enhancement and self-verification are main motivations.

Self Images

How we perceive ourselves based on feedback from others.

Social Pain

The psychological experience of exclusion, akin to physical pain.

Self-Affirmation

Reminding oneself of strengths unrelated to specific threats.

Attribution Style

How individuals explain their successes and failures regarding self.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs.

Social Identity Theory

The theory that a person's sense of who they are is based on group membership.

Collectivism vs Individualism

Cultural orientations that value group goals versus individual goals.