Ch 14: the self

The I (ontological self)

a somewhat mysterious entity that does the observing and describing; experiences life and makes decisions

the Me (epistemological self)

an object that can be observed and described; statements about the self

The me includes

everything we hold dear, and also our body, home, possessions, and even family members

Information-processing filter

Helps us to remember the information that really matters to us and keep it organized

Declarative Knowledge

The facts and impressions that we consciously know and can describe

Procedural Knowledge

Knowledge expressed through actions rather than words

Narrative knowledge

The story you tell yourself about yourself

Declarative self:

Your conscious knowledge or opinions about your own personality traits

Self-schema

All of one's ideas about the self, organized into a coherent system

Self-reference effect

tendency to better remember information relevant to ourselves

Self-efficacy

A belief about the degree to which one will be able to accomplish a goal

Self-Discrepancy Theory

the theory that people have two kinds of desired selves, and the difference between these and one's actual self determines how people feel.

Ideal self

Discrepancy leads to depression

Ought self

discrepancy leads to anxiety

disappointment

root of depression

fear

the root of anxiety

Procedural self

behaviors through which you express who you think you are without realizing you are doing so

Relational self-schema

Self-knowledge based on past experiences that directs how we relate to the important people in our lives

Implicit Selves

self-relevant behavioral patterns that are not readily accessible to consciousness

Implicit self-esteem

feelings about the self of which we are not consciously aware

Congruence

Acting in accordance with one's personality traits