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Topic 2 slides, the self

Overview of Self and Identity in Psychology

Importance for Exam Preparation

  • Understand theories and concepts thoroughly, not word-for-word memorization.

  • Critical thinking: Reflect on key topics to prepare for potential exam questions.

  • Familiarize with slides that provide context and summarize key ideas—but don't memorize overly simplified content.

Identity in Psychology

Definitions of Identity

  • Rosenberg (1986): Development of one's self-concept, including thoughts and feelings about oneself.

  • APA Definition: Individual’s sense of self comprised of unique characteristics and social affiliations, leading to continuity.

Identity Formation and Influences

  • Influences from various roles in life shape behavior and thoughts.

  • Operates on both conscious and subconscious levels.

  • Identification with roles affects effort and authenticity in self-presentation.

The Self - 3 Domains (Higgins, 1987)

  • Actual; characteristics a person genuinely possesses

  • Ideal; characteristics a person would like to possess

  • Ought; characteristics a person feel they should possess

Symbolic Interactionism

  • “The other serves as a looking glass in which we see ourselves“ (Cooley, 1902)

  • I present myself to the other → The other reacts to my self-presentation → I build my own self based on the other’s reaction

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979)

Key Elements

  • Categorization: Grouping oneself and others into categories.

  • Identification: Associating with groups for self-definition.

  • Comparison: Evaluating one’s group against others.

Role of Online Environments

  • Online spaces allow the exploration and construction of identity away from stigma and physical appearance.

  • Anonymity in online environments can facilitate broader self-exploration and presentation.

  • Online anonymity allows people to present any of the three selves. Permits to better present aspects of their true selves.

Self-Presentation in Digital Contexts

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

  • Online Self (Ellison et al, 2006): Complex since one has the possibility to express multiple versions of the self.

  • Digital Self (Zhao, 2005): The self conceived online under the influence of the E-audience.

Conception of Self (Zhao, 2005)

  • How we present ourselves is affected by our believe others can directly see us.

  • How we perceive ourselves is affected by our believed ability to directly see how others respond to us

Strategies of Self-Presentation

  • Strategic Self-Presentation: Manipulating self-image to gain sympathy or approval.

  • Self-Promotion: Boosting your positive traits and guard your negative traits and failures.

  • In Online Dating (Ellison et al., 2006): Higher motivation for honest self-disclosure; risk of misrepresentation due to anonymity.

Social Information Processing Theory (Walther, 1992)

  • Explains how people develop and manage relationships when communicating in a computer-mediated environment.

    • Lack of traditional non-verbal cues shifts our attention to other cues.

    • Adaptation to technological restrictions of the platform.

    • Relationships may develop more slowly.

    • Relationships may demonstrate the same or greated dimensions and qualities (intimicy).

  • Key assumptions:

    • CMC provides unique opportunities to connect.

    • Online communicators are motivated to form impressions of themselves to others.

    • Online relationships may require more time and messages for equivalent intimacy to face-to-face interactions.

Self-Presentation on Online Dating Sites (Ellison et al, 2006)

  • Online daters were interviewed about their strategies to manage their online representation of self.

  • Provides empirical support for the Social Information Processing Theory.

Impression Management

  • Selectively self-presenting or editing messages to reveal socially desirable attitudes and dimensions of the self. (Walther, 1996)

  • Reasons for doing so (Leary, 1996):

    • Attempt to persuade others to respond in desired manner.

    • Create or perserve one’s private self-identity and self-esteem.

    • Standardize their emotional practices.

  • Affected by;

    • Anonymous versus identifiable environment

    • Identity

    • Self-development

Digital Self (Zhao, 2005)

  • Inward Oriented: Inward oriented towards one’s inner world, focusing on thoughts, desires, emotions, and attitudes.

    • People are more willing to self-disclose personal information due to feelings of anonymity and privacy.

    • Others cannot see our external attributes.

    • Challenges:

      • Visual and Aesthetic Focus: Platforms like Instagram emphasize the external self, prioritizing looks, lifestyle, and appearance, making the self more outwardly oriented.

      • Public Persona: Social media profiles now function as public representations, blending the external world of appearance with internal identity, reducing the inward introspective nature Zhao emphasized.

  • Narrative in Nature: People need to describe self-descriptions when interacting online.

    • Others come to know us primarily based on what we tell them.

    • These narratives shape our digital selves.

    • Requires a level of introspection and reflectivity normally not exercised in F2F interaction.

    • Challenges:

      • Fragmented Identity: Short-form content (tweets, Instagram stories) limits deep, reflective narratives, promoting quick, fragmented self-expression instead of introspective storytelling.

      • Algorithmic Influence: Algorithms now push users to create content for engagement (likes, shares) rather than self-reflection, reducing the coherence of these narratives.

  • Retractable: Versions of the self can relatively easy be erased.

    • Others are unable to link our online self-claims to our offline identities.

    • Disembodiment allows people to retract undesirable self and build new one without having to physically relocate.

    • Comes with a price: abandonment from all associated resources.

    • Challenges:

      • Permanent Digital Footprint: Content posted online now often persists indefinitely due to archiving, sharing, and algorithm-driven content retrieval. Deleting content doesn't guarantee its disappearance.

      • Real-World Ties: Social media profiles increasingly link to real-life identities, making it harder to completely abandon or reinvent one’s digital self without social or professional repercussions.

  • Multiplied: The internet removes physical barriers of time and place, creating a type of self described as “decentered, dispersed, and multiplied.

    • Partially true: people create self-selected online environment with like-minded people.

    • The online world may be more homogeneous in terms of interest and outlook [Putnam, 2000], thus less decentered

    • Digital selves formed online may thus be more insulated / constrained than selves formed offline.

    • Yet, others interact with us in different domains of the online

    • Challenges:

      • Platform Convergence: Social media platforms increasingly integrate multiple functions (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), pressuring users to maintain a unified identity across these spaces, reducing the exploration of "multiple selves.“

      • Online Accountability: The rise of digital surveillance and data tracking limits the ability to create multiple, fragmented selves, as identities are now more traceable and interconnected across platforms.

The Concept of the Quantified Self

Definition and Reflection

  • Quantified Self: “A dynamic identity produced by a community through interpretations of its own self-tracking activity, while its guiding premise remains to self- knowledge through self-tracking and large-scale data gathering.” [Fotopoulou et al., 2013]

  • Raises questions about the reliance on objective data at the expense of personal freedom and complexity.

Datafication Aspects

  • Tracking physical, psychological, and cognitive states to measure and improve aspects of personal health and identity.